Faith Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
ACTOR, Chrispen Nyathi said his recent triumph at Royalty Soapie Awards in South Africa, which saw him shrugging off competition from seasoned performers has shown that he is on the right path despite struggling with imposter syndrome and confidence issues early in his career.
The Zimbabwe-born artiste, well-known for playing the role of Pastor Charleston Ncube in the Mzansi Magic drama DiepCity, won the Outstanding Supporting Actor gong at one of the biggest nights for those involved in Mzansi’s small screen industry.
In an interview with Sunday Life, he described the feeling of winning the award as “overwhelming, beautiful, wholesome and humbling” as it came at a time when he was learning to celebrate himself.
“To receive this prestigious award is overwhelming and humbling. I didn’t even expect to get it at all because I was selected and put against the best performers, people who kill their performances every day, people who can kill any character given to them, like the late Mpho Sebang and Zenzo Ngqobe, the legendary Stone Khuse from the e.tv soapie Rhythm City,” he said.
Nyathi’s first major award was the Viewers’ Choice Award, which he said encouraged him to work extra hard because he realised people loved and accepted him.
While the first award might have resulted from his popularity with viewers, his latest triumph feels a bit more special as it is a seal of approval from industry experts.
“This current award was not based on people’s votes but on judges’ decisions, recognising my craft as deserving. It’s an award for people in the industry to realise my craft.”
While the award is prestigious enough, Nyathi said he was happy that he could now do two shows at one time, like other seasoned campaigners in Mzansi.
“The award itself doesn’t come with much, but to find myself at a point where I am doing two shows at a go and being compared to the likes of the late Mpho Sebang and the legendary Zenzo, is a big thing for me. It shows that I am counted among the best,” said Nyathi.
Playing Pastor Charleston in DiepCity has been career-defining for Nyathi so far as it allowed him to ascend the ladder in the dog-eat-dog world of SA television.
The 30-year-old has in the past revealed that he prayed and worshipped his way into the role, as he sought an entry point into the industry.
“I loved the different phases portrayed by my character, the comic side or comic relief of the story, which affects people’s hearts, leaving them in conflicts and unending conversations,” he said.
He described his character as a beautiful canvas painted with different colours.
“This role helped me grow because it’s another thing to have an entire storyline and be acting with the likes of Mam Toni, Mduduzi Mabaso and Zikhona Bali,” Nyathi said.
Nyathi also spoke highly of the Netflix film, Losing Lerato, describing it as a miracle that came to him when he was struggling. That role, he said, paved the way for him, leading to roles in Ipani, Kingdom and Isiphetho.
“Losing Lerato was a God-sent gift, sent to pull me out of the trenches because, at that time, things were a little dry on my side,” he said.
“My character was one of the comic reliefs of that heavy story where people are on the edge of their seats, needing someone to bring some lightness and that was Kylie, the name of the character I played.”
