Generations' Wandile on transgender role: It was a dream come true

28 April 2017 - 11:41 By TshisaLIVE
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Chi Mhende opens up about playing the role of a boy on Generations: The Legacy.
Chi Mhende opens up about playing the role of a boy on Generations: The Legacy.
Image: Via Chi's Instagram

Actress Chi Mhende has captured the hearts of South Africans with her role as male bachelor Wandile Radebe on Generations: The Legacy. The star revealed that she's using the role as a mouthpiece for the LGBTI community.

Speaking to Anele Mdoda on Real Talk with Anele recently, Chi said that despite the difficulties of playing a character going through a gender transition, she was honoured to play the role of Wandile.

"This was my calling. I am supposed to be performing and telling this story. I love playing roles beyond myself so this was a dream come true. I had so much fun playing a boy," she said.

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She said that transforming herself into a boy on screen took about an hour each day of preparation, including voice practice and dressing in baggy clothes to try and get into character.

"The first director that I ever worked with said that it (getting into character) starts in the shoes. That is why I made the request (to wear men's shoes while rehearsing). Because once you feel the shoes the character is standing on, you feel the character," she added.

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Wandile's character is currently going undergoing a gender change on screen and Chi said that she feels her character's struggles have made her a "poster girl" for transgender struggles.

"I feel some kind of responsibility. I have always said that I am not an authority on trans(genders struggles) so I will never declare that have all the answers. But I am one hundred percent a full supporter and activist," she added.

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