Shoki on showbiz, short hair and love for kung fu
SHE plays Pule, the ambitious young property agent on local flick Nothing for Mahala.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, Shoki Mokgapa has appeared on TV since 2008.
Mokgapa, 29, spent part of her childhood in Soweto, before her family moved to Johannesburg ’ s northern suburbs.
After completing her Alevels at the British International College, Mokgapa studied towards a Bachelor of Communications and proceeded to study acting.
She has appeared in shows including Intersexions, Wild at Heart and The Lab. Mokgapa has worked alongside actors such as Lillian Dube, Thapelo Mokoena and Jamie Bartlett. She was also part of the management team for the POPArt Theatre in Johannesburg.
Question: What was your first major break in acting?
Answer: My first official break was when I was cast in The Lab on SABC3. Through a series of adventures, I somehow made it onto a list of actors invited to attend a film/acting workshop at The Market.
Some top South African directors, producers and writers were also invited to be part of the audience.
Barry Berk was in the process of casting for the second season of The Lab.
He spotted me with my red shoes and the rest, as they say, is showbiz history
What in your childhood steered you towards acting?
I went to the Michael Mount Waldorf School.
It has a completely different philosophy on education and encouraged creativity above all else. So I always knew from a young age that I would end up doing something that involved my hands, my body and my voice.
The industry can be a hectic space. What keeps you grounded?
For me being on set is the best job in the world. I ’ m actually living my dream. So when l need breathing space, I practice shaolin kung fu.
It ’ s like meditation for your body. It has changed my life; it ’ s changed the relationship that I have with my body and challenged every single idea or thought I have ever had about myself. But mostly, it has taught me to be fearless.
You appeared in the film Nothing for Mahala. What would you say is the most exciting thing about being involved in the SA film industry right now?
It ’ s seeing all the amazing new talent that ’ s arising, or has been around but only being discovered now.
I think the industry is evolving because audiences are evolving. The great thing is we have so many stories that are still yet to be told.
Not knowing where things could lead is exciting because it means anything is possible.
You seem to always keep your hair short. What is the inspiration behind?
A good friend of mine once said I had a rather nice head. I took that and ran with it.
Is there a role you would never play and why?
Every role brings with it an opportunity to explore a side of yourself that you would not usually exhibit.
Discovering things about yourself is fun, so I would play all the roles I possibly could.
Which actors inspire you – local or international?
Paul Newman, Dame Judy Dench, Shirley MacLaine Dame Maggie Smith and Meryl Streep.
With each role they are able to embody the extraordinary out of the ordinary.
They make it look so easy and effortless. That for me is real art.