Suntele explores his darker side
Actor’s new character on Rhythm City isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, writes Alyssia Birjalal
HE WAS voted one of the sexiest men in the country and now rapper and presenter, Jesse Suntele, is taking on a new role in the popular e.tv soapie, Rhythm City.
Suntele’s character, Nqaba, will make his debut on the show today.
Nqaba is Suffocate’s son, who lived in Ghana with his mother, and he brings with him an exciting new storyline. He says that Nqaba is one of those characters that you really want to love, but he messes up so often – and when he does, his personality takes unpredictable turns.
“There’s going to be a lot of drama and unexpected twists in his storyline – something that I think South Africans can relate to,” he tells me.
Giving us a sneak peak into the role, Suntele says Nqaba is running away from Ghana to be with his dad, but the plot thickens.
“There is a lot happening in Ghana and Nqaba is running away from something, but also running to something. He meets his dad and then the trouble really starts because his dad finds out that the way in which he left his mother was not right,” he says.
Suntele describes Nqaba as good at heart, and says viewers will like him. But unfortunately he often finds himself in trouble, and only then will viewers see his darker side. And that’s where the drama comes in.
Like father like son
“He definitely has a lot of his father’s ways and personality in him, but doesn’t show it. His dad is a hard nut to crack, but if he is pushed to the max, he will also come out fighting,” he says.
Suntele has been shooting for the show for a while now, and says he is loving working on
Rhythm City. “I’ve never worked with this cast before, so everything is pretty new to me. But they have made me feel right at home. I’m enjoying speaking Zulu. I don’t actually speak Zulu, so tackling this role was really challenging for me – and I like a challenge,” he says. An excited Suntele is ready to show fans another side of him.
“I am really excited to be on the show and I hope Rhythm
City viewers and my fans enjoy watching my character. When I broke the news on my social media accounts, people were going crazy. This is a new experience for me and I’m glad that I get to show what I can do as an actor,” he says.
With his busy schedule, Suntele says he has been having many long and exhausting days.
“The soapie world is very controlled in terms of filming, but due to my character being deeply rooted in the storyline, I’ve been having lots of early mornings and late nights.
“When I do have days off, I try to squeeze in some other work,” he adds. He is especially focused on his music career. “I’m a rapper as well, so every chance I get I write some songs and, hopefully, by the end of the year, I can release a few songs,” he concludes. Catch Jesse Suntele on Rhythm City, weekdays at 7pm.
There’s going to be a lot of drama and unexpected twists in his storyline