WHILE the ninth South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) dropped the Best Villain category, the baddies still stole the show at the awards ceremony.
Jamie Bartlett (David Genaro in Rhythm City) and Masasa Mbangeni (Thembeka in Scandal) won Golden Horn’s for the Best Actor and Best Actress in a Lead Role – TV Soap. This is what they had to say…
JAMIE BARTLETT
Now Bartlett, who effortlessly flits from TV to film to stage, is no stranger to awards.
While he sees them as wonderful acknowledgement, he knows that none of it would be possible without complete devotion to the craft. He is that kind of actor – a consummate professional. One has to only watch him on set prepping for a scene to fully understand the gravitas of that statement.
As Genaro, Bartlett takes badass to a new level. And he has been, time and again, saluted for his unbridled ruthlessness .
On bagging the award, he notes: “One can never predict and know. I have gone past expecting anything and have learnt to be very graceful when things land in your lap. I just felt it was my turn to be in the light. That’s why I made a point to say (in my acceptance speech) that I’m a small cog in the wheel. There are a lot of people involved.”
Reflecting on his power-wielding character and how he keeps the unscrupulousness going, Bartlett offers: “You have to make drama out of an ancient Shakespearean-like archetype. That’s what we do in a soap. It’s relentless. I go for it hard and try to make it count. Sometimes when an award lands in your lap, you look upwards and inwards and say ‘thank you’ to everyone involved who makes it happen.
“The most dangerous storylines are gifted to villains. Right now, David Genaro is carrying a lot of the black comedy and the big powerful sex scenes. Turning Lerato into a sex machine and getting her to sexually colonise other people. It’s 50 Shades of Grey stuff happening with him. And it doesn’t matter whom he is doing it to. There’s a lot of comedy, absolutely outrageous stuff and big sexual stakes. The sex is dark and enigmatic.”
Bartlett says there is a duality to his character in that he can be light-hearted one moment and then dark in the next.
He offers: “The villain has to have two F’s: fight and f**k.”
Bartlett points out that the villain can’t always be omnipotent.
“He must be incredibly threatening. But he must also feel the danger. Humpty Dumpty needs a great fall so that he can get back on his feet again, so to speak. That journey is what we need to see, if you get my meaning.”
MASASA MBANGENI
TALK about turning heads – that’s what Mbangeni did as she sauntered onstage in a figure-hugging Sylvester Falata gown.
The actress laughs: “A lot of people said: ‘Nice ass.’”
But, of course, ‘nice’ is not the word to describe her character, Thembeka.
Vindictive, calculated and dangerous would be more like it.
And, five years in, she is finally reaping in the compliments for bringing life to this character. To think she started out as a featured extra.
The actress offers: “I’m in limbo at the moment. I’m in a space that just allows me to function. I really haven’t had a chance to take it all in.”
This is because she is juggling a gruelling shoot for a major story arc in the build-up to Thembeka’s wedding and rehearsing for Athol Fugard’s Nongogo, which has been invited to the Toronto Theatre Festival.
However, she does note: “I’m incredibly honoured. As an actor, you can’t play a role from a place of judgement. It has to come from love – and that translates on camera. It’s a huge compliment to note that they love the villain. It is delicious to play one because they are so multi-layered.
“If I had to compare her to something, it would be Lady Macbeth. Thembeka’s core is love for her family, herself and Quinton. She isn’t ugly for the sake of being ugly. She is rooted in love.”
So what kind of emotional gymnastics can we expect of her on screen?
“We’ve taken it to another level. Thembeka has managed to get Quinton to propose. The journey to get down the aisle is an emotionally draining one for me as a performer. Just when you think her level of evil has peaked, the writers have thrown such spectacular obstacles in her way.”
I guess the confetti will be accompanied by chaos – but that’s why we love our villains.
• Rhythm City (7pm) and Scandal (7.30pm) air on e.tv on weekdays.