NTHATI MOSHESH
ALMOST five years with the soap is a long time. And Moshesh, who plays Morongwe “Mo” Molefe has undergone a rollercoaster of emotions.
On separating the mother from the businesswoman, she says: “As a mum, she is protective but in a weird way because it is still about her. She thinks people judge her as a mother. It is never just about Kgomotso. She has very little nurturing instinct and that is where Dika is better. She is the mother Kgomotso should have had. But Morongwe feels she is wronged because she lost her son. She is still grieving and nobody seems to get that.”
As for the career-driven person, she comments: “Mo, the businesswoman is very frustrated and has been demoted in many ways. Donna has taken over. And she gets played by both Daniel and Donna. Mo is someone who comes from the NIA, she is meant to be astute and a good judge of character.”
And that is probably the most annoying thing in the storyline right now – the strong Mo is absent. She is replaced by an emotional mess. Note to the writing team here, perhaps?
But, with Van Hemert on board, Moshesh is confident the tide will soon change in Mo’s favour.
In celebrating with Scandal, she had this to say: “Let’s not be complacent and keep challenging our viewers so they are always left reeling.”
CLINT BRINK
THE actor-cum-musician has been with e.tv’s Scandal since its inception. Yep, he braved that first year when the soap hit numerous snags before it got a revamp that salvaged it from plummeting into an abyss of failure.
Cast as Tino Martins, he played a property entrepreneur and shareholder in NZH who, in trying to cut his mama’s apron strings, teamed up with Alex Phiri (Shona Ferguson) to launch a new magazine.
A very lovable character; more so because he never ignores his moral compass, Martins has certainly come a long way.
In Martins’ stepping away from the shadow of his ruthless businesswoman mother (Abigail Rodriguez-Martins), who has since been killed off in the soap), Brink says: “It’s refreshing and scary not knowing if the viewers would be sympathetic to his emotions. Change can be worrisome. But as an actor, it’s great having more toys to play with – and getting more scope.”
So have the writers done justice to his character over the years?
“Yes and no. I feel that the character presented some difficulty for the writers. We’ve seen Tino go through many hardships and exaggerated obstacles…but still no great victory was found at the end. I’m hopeful that this might change for the better soon. They have done a great job of making a central character that viewers truly feel for – and that has a lot to do with my personal investment in him,” he shares.
Of his storylines to date, Brink says he loved his wedding storyline as well as the one around his Muay Thai. And he is glad to be working with his Backstage co-star Lorcia Cooper, who plays his wife, again. On the lip side, though, he wasn’t keen on the moral conflict his character currently finds himself in.
I guess Shakira’s I-see-your-dead-mother state of mind has shaken him up a bit.
Meanwhile, Brink is optimistic about his character’s development going forward.
“We have a great series producer (Ilse van Hemert) who has incredible foresight and vision for him,” he says.
With Scandal reaching its milestone, he praises: “We keep growing from strength to strength. We have all the elements to ensure that we are the most dynamic, exciting, cutting-edge and powerful soap of its time. Keep fighting the good fight.”
• Scandal airs on e.tv from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm.