Charles Phasha takes on the personality of Jerry Nyandeni as quickly as he slips into the costume. “I’m a storyteller and acting is my calling. I hit a particular nerve through my performance. “I connect with my audience in any role I play,” Charles said the role of Jerry could have been played by anyone, but he was the chosen one.
“When I read the script and put on my acting clothes, I become Jerry,” said Charles, who provides the comic relief in Isibaya as a funny man, Jerry. “The role had no life at the beginning,” said Charles.
“There was just one paragraph with five lines in his biography. I played with words to make the character better. I used words such as Mzala ka Mzitho instead of just saying Mzala.
“This worked well and everyone started calling me Mzala ka Mzitho on and off the set,” Charles said co-stars Abdul Khoza, who plays Qaphela, and legendary actress Linda Sebezo, who plays Lilian, helped him build his character.
“I spent most of my first scenes with Qaphela. “Lilian helped me bring TV and theatre together. Together we can put the script aside, internalise the character and make it look real and natural.”
He said he’s learnt a lot from the character he plays on the Mzansi Magic soapie. “Jerry taught me to never undermine people. Everybody has a lesson to give and it doesn’t matter if they’re dirty or not.”
Born in Mhluzi, Middelburg, Mpumalanga, 34-year-old Charles grew up fascinated by people he saw on TV. He told his mother Bertha Phasha that one day he would be on TV.
“But my mother believed that acting was for rich people not for the poor,” said Charles.
His curiosity led him to join community theatre where he did many sketches. His first sketch was teaching teenagers how to take care of the environment. After matric, Charles studied dramatic arts at the Federated Union of Black Artists where he majored in directing, acting and scriptwriting.
He has landed roles on a few people TV shows. He’s played Mandla on Rhythm City, Speedy on Zone 14 and Moferefere on Yalla.
Source: Daily Sun
