They are putting us proper actors next to models, says Jerry Mofokeng

Veteran actor Jerry Mofokeng has slammed the entertainment industry's fascination with giving social media celebs jobs, calling it a "tragedy" that is hurting the craft.

Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Jerry said the one thing that angered him about showbiz today was the lack of professionalism that creeps in.

"You cannot compromise on professionalism. There are local productions that are fully professional but some of these TV dramas...no, no, no. I had to fight hard to protect myself."

He said the problems was that  many productions "cut corners because of the number of hours they have to shoot in a day" and that actors were often put next to "models" made popular by social media.

"It is tragic. They are more interested in how people look rather than if they can deliver. Thousands of followers have nothing to do with ability. They are celebrities not actors."

Besides being an actor, Jerry is also a pastor and motivational speaker. He said that there was a number of roles he would not accept because of his beliefs. Fortunately he has never been asked to do anything he didn't feel comfortable with.

"Maybe they know that I will not do certain things. There is a certain amount of respect, which I am grateful for. I just want to be remembered as the man who took his craft seriously and who had integrity both on and off screen. We cannot tell people how to act, but I have seen too many people destroy themselves with their social habits. I have seen stars expire."

Jerry believed that his star would never expire and had no intentions of retiring  soon.

"There will always be roles for old men. I will play them. How old was Joe Mafela? Miriam (Makeba) collapsed on stage. I would like to act till the end."