Seasoned actress Tsholofelo Matshaba portrayal of the villainous Princess Odirile on Mzansi Magic's hit series "The Throne," is absolutely delicious.
Popularly known for her gold digging, manipulative character Meme on SABC 2's "Muvhango," Matshaba chats to us about her latest role. In her quest to become the future queen of Kweneng, the throne which she believes is rightfully hers, Odirile proves that she can master the art of evil.
She kills her niece Mosetsana and buries her in a shallow grave. Mosetsana was supposed to succeed her mother, Queen Mosadi.
Odirile went on to poison Queen Mosadi, making her look like a nutcase so she can lose her queendom. She succeeds as Queen Mosadi is dethroned.
And just when everyone thought Odirile has mended her ways, she strikes again, taking wickedness to the next level.
Following Queen Dipuo’s recent death, Odirile sees an opportunity to take on the reins to become the queen she always wanted to be. It’s her birthright after all.
To Odilrile’s dismay, the royal council re-elects Queen Mosadi. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Asked if she is not concerned about being typecast due to the majority of her roles being calculating characters.
"At first I thought it would mean I keep doing the same thing, but then I realised in real life even identical twins are different. Each one has her own identity, however, naturally, there will be similarities. I have thus learned to try and give those similar characters different character traits," explains Matshaba.
Tsholofelo Matshaba. Picture: Supplied
Odirile is sly, manipulative, and always plotting her next move. When asked how she prepares herself for a character of this magnitude, Matshaba said: "A while back Dr John Kani asked a question in a workshop I was attending: 'When and how do you prepare for your character?' Then he gave the answer: 'You have been preparing all your life.
"So to answer your question, somewhere in my life I have met an Odirile, I have heard of or read about an Odirile and that goes for all the other characters I have portrayed previously".
When asked what she thought when she first read the script and how has that manifested in reality, Matshaba says: "I thought 'oh my, another baddie...' then I got excited because the story was set in my mother tongue, Setswana. Odirile is the stuff that makes your tummy churn...."
Matshaba, 35, also revealed that she is happy with the direction the character has taken: "Absolutely. It is quite challenging to tap into the mind of someone who is ultimately a degenerate, has lost her moral compass, only when it suits her will she ever do the right thing," she enthused.
On what she enjoys most about the role of Princess Odirile, Matshaba says being able to express herself in her mother tongue is definitely a perk.
"What I enjoy is the fact that I can speak my mother tongue, Setswana, be playful and express myself as best I see creatively fitting along with the director's assistance," she said.
Catch the royal family of Kweneng to see the drama unfolds as the vicious power struggle continues on "The Throne," Monday to Thursday, DSTV Mzansi Magic channel 161.