S’Dumo Mtshali has managed something rare for an African actor, becoming a household name for all the wrong reasons. As Jonasi Gomora, the scheming patriarch at the heart of Netflix’s ‘The Polygamist’, he’s turned deceit into a masterclass, and audiences worldwide can’t stop watching him (or hating him for it).
The show, an isiZulu telenovela adapted from Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi’s novel of the same name, follows a wealthy but thoroughly unfaithful and narcissistic patriarch whose web of lies leaves more than a dozen broken hearts in his wake before it all catches up with him.
It’s a story built on infidelity, betrayal, family breakdown and the quiet devastation of love gone wrong. These are general themes that clearly strike a chord far beyond South Africa’s borders.
The numbers back that up. The series pulled in 7.7 million views in its second week alone, holding steady at No. 2 globally, an unusually fast rise for African content breaking into the mainstream. Even Hollywood has taken notice, with actress Taraji P. Henson among those singing its praises.
At the centre of it all is Mtshali’s performance, which critics and viewers alike have called disturbingly convincing. His portrayal of Jonasi as selfish, calculating and endlessly manipulative, hiding behind tradition to justify his secret wives and tangled affairs, has clearly hit a nerve.
But co-star Wonder Ndlovu, who plays Menzi, was quick to draw a distinction in comments to The Citizen. She explained that what Jonasi does bears little resemblance to genuine polygamous tradition.
Having studied the practice and its origins, she was adamant that his behaviour is something else entirely, a cover story for manipulation rather than an honest cultural practice.
Off-screen, Mtshali’s career has been steadily building towards this moment. Born in Durban in 1983, he first broke through in 2010 by winning the SABC1 reality competition ‘Class Act’.
That same year, he landed his first major leading role in the drama series ‘Intersexions’, a show that went on to win a Peabody Award in 2011, a serious mark of international recognition early in his career.
He’s also well known to South African audiences for playing Sbu in the long-running drama ‘Isibaya’, and has picked up a Golden Horn Award for Best Supporting Actor along the way. His film credits include ‘Avenged’, ‘iNumber Number: Jodi Gold’, ‘Back of the Moon’ and ‘Inside Story’.
Now, with global audiences glued to his every scheme as Jonasi, Mtshali is proving that being one of the internet’s most-loathed characters might just be the highest compliment an actor can receive. This is a sign that the performance is working exactly as intended.
Credit: AFP
