Former Big Brother star Mzamo Gcabashe says reality TV is different to acting

Former Big Brother star Mzamo Gcabashe is killing it as an actor in Mzansi, and revealed why he was able to make the jump from reality TV star to actor when so many before him had failed. It’s been five years since Mzamo shot to fame on hit reality show Big Brother, and the star has since cemented himself as actor, playing the role of Jamaica on Rhythm City.

While Mzamo is grateful for his time on Big Brother, he admitted it would take something completely different to convince him to return to the world of reality TV. I would return, but it will have to be something specific. It would have to be tasteful. I wouldn’t go on reality TV for the sake of it. It would have to be something that makes sense to me. Maybe something along the lines of ‘inside the life of Mzamo’.

Mzamo made the difficult move from reality TV to mainstream acting, and said many before and after him have tried to make the jump but failed because they didn’t respect acting as a craft. What people don’t understand is that being an actor or musician is an art. Being a reality star is not an art. There is nothing to it. Reality TV requires no real talent. There is no discipline. You are just there, you are just being. He said acting was a job and required effort, not just a fun personality.

People are in entertainment for different reasons and people think it is all fun, but acting is a job. You go home and prepare. You have to put in the effort. Mzamo added that reality TV stars were often extra because they needed to pull in viewership numbers. People will make jokes and do certain things for ratings. That is the model of reality TV. Acting is completely different. It is a craft. You have cameras and scripts. You need to be prepared, you can’t just wing it.