Behind Closed Doors: Shaka Ilembe Star “Dingiswayo” Thembinkosi Mthembu Opens Up About How His Girlfriend Copes with His On-Screen Tlof Tlof
Thembinkosi Mthembu, trending for his role as Dingiswayo in Shaka Ilembe, recently shared insights into how his girlfriend handles his romantic scenes on television.
The 29-year-old actor has been making waves in 2023, particularly with his role as the confident Bonga in Showmax’s Adulting.
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Dingiswayo On Shaka Ilembe
In 2023, he made a notable appearance on Mzansi Magic’s Shaka Ilembe as Dingiswayo, a character known for his inspirational leadership and strategic prowess, influencing Shaka’s journey.
Mthembu explained to TimesLIVE how he dedicated himself to the role of Dingiswayo, even going to great lengths to immerse himself in the character.
He temporarily distanced himself from his girlfriend and family and even deactivated his social media accounts to eliminate distractions.
Speaking about his commitment to the character, he said,
“Shaka was the first project I went all in on. This character is very close to my heart, and I fell in love with it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m grateful that we’ll be shooting season 2 soon.”
The actor also shared an amusing incident involving a fight scene with co-star Zwide (played by Wiseman Mncube), saying,
How His Bae Takes His Tlof Tlof Scenes On TV
When asked about how his girlfriend deals with his intimate scenes on TV, Thembinkosi explained that he takes his work seriously and makes an effort to establish chemistry with his co-stars, even going on dates with them when necessary.
Fortunately, his girlfriend understood the professional context of these interactions.
He shared:
“For me and her to build chemistry, we had to go on dates because it would read on camera. My partner knew about the dates but doesn’t watch my int_macy scenes, she’s OK because we started dating when I was doing my third year at DUT, so she knew me from university.”
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