Actor Sicelo ‘Seekay’ Buthelezi recently had a nasty encounter with a fan who harassed him for the actions of his Skeem Saam character Toby.
Sicelo experienced firsthand the blurred lines between fiction and reality when an overzealous fan mistook his character’s actions for his own.
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Sicelo ‘Seekay’ Buthelezi In An Encounter With A Fan Over His Skeem Saam Character
The incident occurred at a filling station in Johannesburg. Sicelo was confronted by an unknown man who recognised him as Toby, his on-screen persona.
Toby, a character scandalous for his recent actions against his girlfriend Ntswaki, played by Lethabo Mekoa, has sparked intense reactions from viewers. When Buthelezi entered the station, the fan called out to him, saying, “Ey, ke wena rapist ya Skeem Saam?” [You the rapist from Skeem Saam?]
Sources close to Buthelezi revealed that the young actor, despite being understandably angry, chose to walk away from the confrontation.
“We commended him for walking away from such a situation. He is still young and has a lot happening, especially his brand,” the source added.
Sicelo opted not to dwell on the incident, telling Zimoja:
“I don’t want to entertain that incident, but people must know this is just a job and not my personal character.”
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Thespians In Public Brushes Over Their On-Screen Performances
Buthelezi, who joined Skeem Saam in March, is not the first actor to face such a predicament. Actors portraying controversial characters often find themselves dealing with fans who cannot separate them from their roles.
Pamela Nomvete, a former actress on Generations, faced similar issues years ago when her character, Ntsiki, a villain, provoked a fan to physically confront her in a mall. Similarly, Nkanyiso Makhanya, who played Njeza on Uzalo, was attacked by a fan who was upset over his character’s abusive behaviour towards his on-screen girlfriend, Nosipho.
Another notable incident involved Zonke Mchunu, who played Imani Nkosi on Muvhango. An irate fan attacked her for snatching her aunt’s husband and later stealing another man, only for another fan to save her.
