The River's Tina Dlathu shares details on debut role

• Tina Dlathu makes her acting debut in 1Magic's The River.
• She will make her first appearance on 9 June.
• Tina is the younger sister of Sindi Dlathu who plays Lindiwe.

By her admission, it has only been five minutes since she joined the entertainment industry, so nothing could have prepared incoming The River actor Tina Dlathu for her first day on set.

Viewers of the show will be introduced to her when she makes her first appearance in the award winning telenovela on 9 June. Dlathu plays the role of Khwezi, the youngest member of the Hlophe family.

READ MORE | Meet the new family joining The River season 5

"My first day on set was busy and long. A full day of shooting scenes from the early morning, well into the evening – around 18:00," the young actor says.

Despite it being her first acting role, Dlathu – the younger sister of veteran actor Sindi Dlathu who is also one of the main characters in the 1Magic telenovela – has already figured out some of the don'ts of being in the entertainment industry.

"Going to work unprepared would be very disastrous, disrespectful, and an absolute waste of time for the production as a whole," she says, adding that she got into character through thorough preparation.

Her preparation method included conducting research and listening to specific music that relates to either the character or her experience.

The ease with which she does it could also be attributed to the similarities she shares with her character. They both have a calm demeanor, love their families, and wear their hearts on their sleeves.

"Khwezi and I are actually quite similar, except that she is sometimes too naïve and remains soft even under extremely aggravating circumstances," she says.

While she could not share too much about her character's entry into the show, she says it will be shocking.

"When the viewers first see her, she will literally be throwing a tantrum," Dlathu says.

Her quest to break into the industry was sparked when "passion met opportunity," and the rest is history. She is inspired by people who work both on and off the TV and on stage, but, surprisingly, "many" of the people she looks up to are not in the industry.  

Tune into season 5 of The River weeknights on 1Magic (DStv 103) at 20:00.