Officer Bae wants a rap sheet
He’s everyone’s Man Crush, a model, actor, presenter and rapper. Alyssia Birjalal spoke to Jesse Suntele
HE’S HOTTER than your next door neighbour, with talents that reach as far as the moon, but somehow Jesse Suntele still manages to remain grounded and focused on his goals and dreams.
Suntele’s big break into the industry came when he won season two of popular reality competition Top Actor Africa. Since then he has been working as a BET A-List presenter alongside some of the hottest celebrities in the country, including Jessica Nkosi, Nomzamo Mbatha and K Naomi. He also scored a role on the Ferguson Film drama series, The Queen on Mzansi Magic, where he played Officer Tuelo, otherwise known as Officer Bae on social media. His most recent endeavour was taking part in season two of the reality show The Hustle, where his raps got him to the Top Seven before being eliminated.
“Life is crazy right now. When you become famous on a competition level it’s a whole different thing. Before the competition, even though I did some work on TV, no one noticed me, but now it’s like everyone on the streets knows who I am and treats me like a celebrity.
“They even ask for pictures with me and I’m not used to that. But even though they see me as a celeb, at home everything is still the same. I’m still just Jesse. My mom still sees me the same,” said Suntele.
Asked if he was all about entering reality talent competitions he laughed and responded no. “Everyone has their own unique formula they use in life to get where they need to be. Entering competitions is my way. And it seems to work. Up until
The Hustle, I’ve won all four competitions I entered, but the major one for me was Top
Actor,” he said. The BET A-List presenter said if he had to chose between everything he currently does, he would choose to solely focus on a music career. “I love music and it’s something that I have always worked towards doing on my own from my school days. Everything else I got involved in was recommended by family and friends, but music was the one thing I loved from the start. So if someone puts a gun to my head – I would choose music,” said Suntele.
He said his love for rap was the main reason he took part in The Hustle. He wanted to show people that he was not just a pretty boy but he is multi-talented too. And although his dream was short-lived on the show, Suntele has not given up on it.
“By the end of the year I will definitely be putting out an album. It’s something that’s in the pipeline and I can’t wait to get it out there, but at the same time I don’t want to rush it. When people finally hear this album – they are going to be judging me as Jesse Suntele and not a character I play on TV,” he said.
Suntele said getting used to the industry life had not been the easiest but he got through knowing that he had his family to support him. “I’ve been in the industry for a short time but already I have learned so many lessons and the main lesson is to remain humble and treat people with the respect they deserve and never forget where you came from, because tomorrow you may not be relevant,” he said.
Talking about how he deals with being objectified Suntele said it’s unavoidable.
“I take good care of myself. I have a sixdays-a-week gym routine. I wake up early to get to the gym and only then do I start the rest of my day. I take all comments on social media with a pinch of salt and I am also thankful that I haven’t had any haters yet. When I am at the gym I am a different guy. I am motivated to do my best and look my best and I bring out those qualities in everything I do,” he said.
Suntele is a force to be reckoned with, keep him on your radar, because his best is yet to come.