Aubrey Poo thinks 'The Estate' viewers will see a lot of their fave politicians in his character

Veteran actor Aubrey Poo will be channelling his inner corrupt and flamboyant politician as Castro Kamanga in the much-anticipated new SABC3 daily drama The Estate and he's taken TshisaLIVE into his process of bringing the callous character to life.

The Estate is a new local drama that promises to have Mzansi hooked with a star-studded cast and will premier in the prime time slot that used to “belong” to Isidingo.

Aubrey, who used to show up in the same slot as Gabriel ''Moruti wa Tsotsi'' Mothusi of Isidingo fame, explained that he had the big task of ensuring that his new character didn't falter under Gabriel's shadow.

“Funnily enough, in my career I always say that every role is preparing me for a role I will play one day, or a role I will play next, and with Castro, I think he's a culmination of two particular characters that I've played in the past.”

The veteran actor explained that it was a bit tricky for him, because the more he got to know his character, the more he felt like he was a combination of Gabriel and other roles he has played before.

“One of them was pretty much in the same time slot, so I constantly have to challenge myself to not repeat that guy's traits too much. Because the time slot is the same, if I am not careful it could be like I'm playing pastor Gabriel Mothusi again and I don't want that. However, Castro is within that realm as a character. He isn't necessarily a scammer, but because he wields so much power, there's a callousness about him that takes him there,” said Aubrey.

Words such as flamboyant, proud, manipulative and egotistic best describe the character of Castro Kamanga. Aubrey explains that the character is the son of a late big-shot politician who had big influence in their story's fight for freedom.

“Castro inherited a taxi business and the dark side that comes with that ... He's a very colourful character, he's flamboyant, like many of the politicians we know. The man grew up in exile and deeply entrenched in politics, corrupt dealing and the power that comes with it.”

The Estate boasts a cast of proven stars that includes the likes of Dineo Langa, Sdumo Mtshali, Don Mlangeni, Linda Sibeko and many others.

The drama will premiere weekdays from April 2021 on SABC3.