DAWN THANDEKA KING ON LIFE AFTER UZALO


She's come a long way since her TV debut nine years ago. Since then, the award-winning Dawn Thandeka King has portrayed some of the most intriguing characters on our small screen. We chat with the multitalented actress about her new role after seven years on Uzalo.




Captivating, raw talent, and hardworking are some of the words used to describe Dawn Thandeka King (43). At the age of 35, she was a 'newcomer' in the industry and has over the years sunk her teeth into some entertaining characters, including that of Mazet on Mzansi Magic's telenovela, Lockdown, and Lindiwe Xulu (MaNgcobo) on SABC1's telenovela, Uzalo. And after seven years on the show, in April, Dawn acted out her final scene as KwaMashu's infamous gangster, MaNgcobo. 'It was an emotional departure,' she says, 'but there was an offer and in my heart of hearts I knew I had to accept it. I wanted it.’ This was a crucial creative and a career move, she states. She needed to move to a new space and character to challenge herself. 'I had been MaNcobo for a long time. She had gone through a lot. What more could have been done with her?' she asks. 'It was painful to leave,’ she admits, ‘but sometimes you have to make those decisions. When you feel that you have reached a certain point, you have to accept other challenges.'


The new challenge comes in the form of a problem-ridden, emotionally taxing Thandiwe on DiepCity, a new telenovela on Mzansi Magic. Thandiwe, a Diepsloot's informal settlement resident, is worlds apart from the gun-wielding MaNcobo – from the lifestyle to personality traits. A challenge Dawn welcomed because Thandiwe represents many women that we see daily trying to make ends meet out of nothing. 'The beauty of it is that I have to dig deep and come up with ways to make sure that she looks and sounds different from my previous characters,' says Dawn. But diving into deep dark places is not foreign to this diverse actress. We have seen it with characters such as Mazet.

'I had to dig deep, deeper than I actually thought I could,' she says about her character in the female prison drama, Lockdown. She even struggles to put it into words. She pauses and elaborates further. 'It is a very different world. It is cold. It teaches you and exposes you to what people go through daily. It hardens you. And the character itself hardened me in the duration that we were shooting it.' But not all her roles are of deadly women. Her light side is also seen in her first rom-com on the streaming platform, Netflix's 'Slay'. 'It is the first time that I play a carefree character and goofing around. I am always crying and serious, so this was fun. I hope viewers enjoy it,' she says. Slay, which aired in April, was removed but will return soon.



BIRTHING CREATIVES
A singer as well, Dawn is creative at heart. The mother of five is proud that her children aged between 21 and seven are also following in her footsteps. 'I know I gave birth to creatives,' she says. Dawn's daughter is the script supervisor on DiepCity, and her second-born child is currently studying at the National School of the Arts (NSA).

'In the future, you will see all of us in creative spaces. It's amazing that a mom can inspire her children to tap into their creative side,' she adds. Something that was nurtured by her parents when they saw her talent at a young age.

Raised in a church environment, Dawn's grandfather was the archbishop of the Lutheran Church in the KwaZulu-Natal region. Naturally, she was active in the church and gradually gravitated towards cultural activities like Zulu dancing and speech and drama. 'I fell in love with expressing myself. I loved performing,' she recalls. She later enrolled to study drama at the then Natal Technikon. However, upon completing her studies, she didn't go straight into acting. A decade later, after a few 9-5 jobs, she had her big break on Mzansi Magic's telenovela's Inkaba as the maid, Anele. A few accolades later, including a SAFTA for Best Actress, Dawn hasn't looked back.


Her lips are sealed when we ask what's next though. 'I want to surprise you. I will keep surprising you. It is a different year for me,' she reveals. If her previous work is anything to go by, viewers won’t be disappointed.

BY KOKETSO MASHIKA


DAWN THANDEKA KING ON LIFE AFTER UZALO DAWN THANDEKA KING ON LIFE AFTER UZALO Reviewed by Michelle Pienaar on May 12, 2021 Rating: 5
Powered by Blogger.