'The River'

‘The River’ actor Unathi Mkhize as Nkanyiso. Image via Twitter @iol_lifestyle

‘The River’ actor Unathi Mkhize: ‘I’m not a showoff in reality’

Actor Unathi Mkhize, who plays Nkanyiso in ‘The River’ opens up about his impressive bad-boy character on the telenovela.

'The River'

‘The River’ actor Unathi Mkhize as Nkanyiso. Image via Twitter @iol_lifestyle

The River actor Unathi Mkhize, who made his first big break on the 1Magic telenovela in May as Nkanyiso has viewers (mainly women) in a chokehold as they gush over his impressive bad-boy stint.  

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‘I AM MORE OF A GOOD GUY THAN NKANYISO’  

The 24-year-old actor Unathi Mkhize tells Sowetan that he’s the total opposite of his ladies’ man character Nkanyiso Hlophe.   

Mkhize describes himself as a laid-back, chilled-out guy who likes to take life easy compared to Nkanyiso.  

“I am more of a good guy than my naughty character. I mean, it doesn’t really help that my character is this shirtless guy who hardly buttons up his shirt or even has a shirt on. The fun part about playing Nkanyiso is that he’s very different from me. Yes, I love exercising and keeping fit, but I’m not a showoff in reality.”  

“Nkanyiso is that hidden bad boy persona in me that I hardly left free… but at least I get to experience it by being shirtless and romancing different women.”   

Mkhize also tells the publication that he mostly gets attention from ladies and fame has been tricky for him.   

“I had to adjust and understand that I now belong to the public because of my on-screen character,” the thespian said.  

“I completely understand the fuss they get when they see me. I mean, these people spend their weekdays at 8 pm watching me and my fellow cast members act out our storylines… so I have to be a gentleman enough to embrace that.”  

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UNATHI MKHIZE: OTHER TALENTS  

The River actor is also a skilled scriptwriter and a director and studied at Africa Film Drama Art, where he obtained a BA Honours degree in Motion Pictures Medium, according to Sowetan.  

“In my second year, I wrote a piece, a one-man show which was an hour long. I acted in front of a sold-out crowd and left everyone speechless… I even thought to myself at the time that ‘after this, every production house is going to want me’, but that was not the case,” the heartthrob expressed.  

“I soon realised that that’s not how the industry works. Although I held down an hour-long show with no setting, and just me narrating and engaging with the audience, I knew then that I had the capabilities of making it in the industry.”       

Mkhize adds that acting has been something he had been honing since he was in high school.  

“With acting, I allow myself to feel things and become vulnerable. Acting has been somewhat like a healing process for me.” 

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