Zimbabwean stars shine bright in Hollywood
WHILE the local film industry continues to struggle to make an impression, there seems to be a surge in the number of individual actors who are making a name for themselves on the international stage, particularly in Hollywood.
Last week’s review of “Parish” ignited a discussion on the state of the local film industry, with several avid followers of this column reaching out with their take.
One particular reader and film enthusiast even went as far as sending me his own fantasy cast of the show (Parish), with Danai Gurira, Tongayi Chirisa and Dumisani Nkosi taking up the roles of Shamiso, Hoarse and Zenzo Tongayi, respectively, in the American production.
I had a few thoughts on the proposed cast but then realised Gurira would probably be too pricey for the AMC Entertainment show, and Chirisa, while a credible actor, probably lacked the required menace and charisma for the part.
As far as Nkosi is concerned, I actually had to Google his name and — to my surprise — found out that he has appeared in a couple of productions that I have watched.
Some of his most notable cameos are in shows like the blockbuster America drama series “24”, which revolved around Jack Baeur, and “The Shield”, which happens to be one of my favourite television productions of all time.
It is against this background that I decided to do a deep dive into some of the Zimbabweans flying the country’s flag high.
The list will be ranking the biggest movers and shakers, and I will concentrate on the strengths of their works, whether film or television.
5. Dumisani Nkosi
As the muse behind this week’s column, it is only right that the list begins with actor and producer Dumisani Nkosi. As indicated above, his claim to fame are the shows “The Shield” and “24”. But he also makes an appearance in “The Agency”.
4. Sibongile Mlambo
Mlambo is surprisingly one of the lesser-known faces on this list. But this could probably be because many people did not know that she is Zimbabwean.
She left the country in 2005 to pursue her education in the United States and has lived in Texas, New York and briefly in Spain.
The 33-year-old actress has over 15 films and television shows that she is credited for, with the most notable being “Honey 3: Dare to Dance”, “Black Lightning”, “MacGyver” and “Teen Wolf ”.
While “Black Lightning” and “MacGyver” remain the biggest shows, it is in the MTV cult classic “Teen Wolf ” that Mlambo shines the brightest. She stars as the sixth season’s main villain, Tamora Monroe, a school counsellor who hates the supernatural creatures of Beacon Hills and then forms a military group that wages war on them. Mlambo puts up a commendable performance, showing her versatility. She first appears a frightened human before the big reveal at the end.
3. Leroy Gopal
Known for his roles in “Cry, the Beloved Country”, “The Power of One” and “A Dry White Season”, Gopal’s first burst onto the scene with a starring role in the 2000 local hit “Yellow Card”.
The popularity of the film, a local cult classic, saw Gopal move to South Africa, where he got roles in popular South African soapies like “Ses’Top La” (Oleshe) and “One Way” (Thabang Ngema).
Hollywood then came knocking, leading to roles in the earlier-stated shows like “Cry, the Beloved Country” and “A Dry White Season”.
To date, the 44-year-old has done over 15 movies and 22 television shows in the period between 2000 and 2019. These were done in Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United States.
2. Tongayi Chirisa
If Gopal opened the door for Zimbabwean actors to succeed in Hollywood, then Chirisa put the country in the limelight.
Well, Chirisa and the next entry! Much like Gopal, Chirisa has an extensive filmography that stretches between 2005 and 2022. His most notable works on the international scene include the 2020 comedy “Palm Springs”, voice work for last year’s “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”, “Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past” and a few cameos in shows like “NCIS: Los Angeles”, “Hawaii Five-O”, “The Good Doctor” and “Crusoe”.
1. Danai Gurira
From a big star to a mega star, no actor or actress has done more to raise the nation’s flag in Hollywood than Gurira.
The 46-year-old is what many would call a triple threat as her glossary encompasses theatre, film and television.
Born in the United States to Zimbabwean parents, Josephine and Roger, Gurira rose to prominence through her role as Michonne in the “Walking Dead”, in which she played a relentless katana-wielding character who joins a close-knit group in an apocalyptic world.
The show remains one of AMC’s highest-rated series in cable television history and saw her cast as “Okoye” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
She has since starred in the two “Black Panther” movies, as well as featured in box office hits like “Avengers:
Infinity War” and “Endgame”. Gurira is also credited as an executive producer, co-creator and writer of the upcoming “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live” due for release later this year. Another big-money project is expected to see the voice of the character of Okoye in the upcoming mini-series for Disney “Eyes of
Wakanda”.