When Class Act started last year we all wondered if the show would make anything out of the unknown contestants.
The winners were announced and before we could forget them and move on with our lives, the Top 10 contestants started to make their acting presence known.
The likes of Sdumo Mtshali and Muzi Clive have starred in local and international productions (Intersexions and Winnie – The Movie respectively). The others have popped up in this or that TV advert.
With the second season of the talent search contest coming to an end recently, we can look forward to more new blood joining the ranks of veterans such as Vusi Kunene and Rapulana Seiphemo.
Probably the first production in which two Class Act alumni have worked together is the new local drama series Fallen. The two, Yonda Thomas and Clive, got to rub shoulders with established actors Xolile Tshabalala, Mbali Ntuli, Owen Sejake and Nomsa Xaba.
“After coming fifth in the Class Act contest I did not think I would go anywhere in the industry. The idea was to get to the top spot in the competition, but that was not the case. To my surprise I have been getting jobs since, from adverts to soapies like Muvhango,” said Thomas, who plays the lead as Vincent Mvelo in Fallen.
Thomas admits that there were a number of established actors who were already in the running for the lead role and he did not see himself getting it.
“My character is a young music producer who inherited millions and is on a quest to find answers to how his mother and grandmother were killed.
“I can relate to the role because there are a lot of similarities between me and him. I grew up with my mother and grandmother. Most of my childhood memories are with my grandmother, so I channel that energy into my acting,” said Thomas.
For the music side of his character, Thomas studied renowned artists such as Black Coffee to get an idea of how they carry themselves.
“DJs always have some air of coolness about them, so I studied that and tried to convey it into my character, too,” he said.
On working with former Class Act classmate Clive, Thomas said it was a great experience.
“He is a great actor who works very hard and it was great to meet him again on set, he said.
While he had hoped to get the lead role, Clive was happy with the supporting role.
“They said my face was too serious, so I had to play Simon Ndlovu, a mill foreman who is a part-time street fighter. He leads a rebellion against the powers that be, raising the concerns of the workers. I never thought it was going to work, but the director saw the quality in me and in the show,” said Clive.
For his role he had to get in shape and took boxing lessons to be as convincing as possible, especially in the fighting scenes.
“I can easily relate to my character because, like me, he has had to fight against the odds all of his life. For me, acting was always a passion, but I did not go to school to study it, so it was hard to get a break. They do not look at you twice if you did not study, so I fought my way to be where I am now. Simon Ndlovu has to fight to get what he wants, too,” explained Clive.
So, has Class Act raised future stars, or is it a passing phase? You be the judge when Fallen airs this Thursday at 8.30 on SABC1.