Atandwa Kani on his Ashes to Ashes role
It’s been a tough couple of months for Atandwa Kani.
FILE PICTURE: Atandwa Kani (Photo by Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Simphiwe Nkwali)
After splitting from his ex-wife, Our Perfect Wedding host Thembisa Mdoda, he was shattered when he found out that the twin boys that they were raising together weren’t biologically his. But things are looking up for the actor who calls himself “The Prince of Theatre.”
He is head over heels in love with actress Fikile Mthwalo and has just scored an exciting role on the second season of Ashes To Ashes. “This role is a huge blessing to me,” he says. “I’m excited about being one of the actors chosen to increase the excitement on the show.”
Kani plays Buzwe Sihlahla, a highly competitive advocate who will do anything to win. He’s smart, stylish, charming and falls in love with Reba, played by Zenande Mfenyana. Kani joins Nambitha Mpumlwana, Zenande Mfenyana and Menzi Ngubane, who he worked with previously on Generations. The actors were among the 16 cast members who made headlines when they were fired from the show after striking for better pay.
“It feels like I’m back home with the actors I’ve come to know so well,” says Kani. But it’s important that I work on standing out instead of fitting in with the cast, because that’s what makes great television.” As the son of theatre legend John Kani, the younger Kani fell in love with theatre at a young age and always dreamt of following in his father’s footsteps.
He studied theatrical performance at the University of Witwatersrand and has been cast in numerous theatre productions and television shows. Kani says the biggest challenge he faces as an actor are people’s perceptions of actors in soapies.
“There’s this misconception that when an actor joins a soapie, he is selling his soul to the devil and somehow compromising his talent, I think that’s rubbish. If you’re an artist, you should be versatile enough to be able to portray a character authentically no matter where you are.”
Speaking on the competition between Ashes to Ashes and Generations: The Legacy for viewers on the 8pm slot, Kani refuses to mention the “other” soapie’s name. “I think Ashes to Ashes has an advantage because it has an amazing cast and a great storyline.”
