Ms Zuma to star in Isidingo
2009-06-11 09:20
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Johannesburg - Gugulethu (Gugu) Zuma, one of President Jacob Zuma’s daughters, will soon be seen in the SABC3 soap Isidingo.
Zuma, 24, is the daughter of the president’s ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, minister of home affairs.
She will be playing the character Lesedi Moloi from the end of July.
Zuma and her husband, Wesley Ncube, recently relocated from Cape Town to Johannesburg.
She says she always wanted very much to act in Isidingo.
After two prior unsuccessful auditions, she couldn’t believe it when she received a call from her agents about twenty minutes after a third audition, to tell her that the role was hers.
Not what her father had in mind
Zuma, who was also seen as Sergeant Bhelu Mini in the SABC2 police drama Interrogation Room, studied at The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance in Cape Town.
She can relate quite easily to her Isidingo character, who returns to South Africa after about five years abroad.
"She's stubborn, determined and knows what she wants, but is also a little shy at times. She has a gentle heart."
Zuma says the role requires a lot of hard work, but with the help of the other actors, she's quickly falling into the soapie routine of learning a lot of dialogue every day and working long hours.
She doesn’t think being an actor is the career path her father had in mind for her.
"Politics just isn't in my blood. But not everyone who wants to give and help others is involved in politics. There are other ways of reaching out to people besides being a politician."