Khaya Dladla on declining jobs to avoid being typecast

After leaving Uzalo, actor Khaya Dladla went without big TV roles for a while and has  explained it was deliberate to avoid being typecast.  

Having played Uzalo's GC with finesse, the actor revealed his exit from the SABC1 soapie attracted offers from other productions. However, Khaya told TshisaLIVE most productions wanted him to act in a role that was a version of GC!

“I had to sit out some opportunities because everyone was offering me an opportunity to act as a different version of GC. A GC in a different story but as an artist and as an actor who knows how much more I have to offer, I couldn't allow myself to be typecast in that. I'm a casting director myself so I had to be vigilant to that.”

Khaya said he will always be grateful for the love he's received from the industry — through award nominations — and the love audiences have for GC. However, it was important for him to show them the brilliant GC was not all he has to offer as an actor.

For the experienced actor, being able to showcase your range as an actor is more important that taking jobs  to put bread on the table. Even when artists found themselves in a financially stressful situation thanks to Covid-19 and the lockdowns that landed in Mzansi the following months, Khaya didn't regret his decision to pass on playing versions of GC in other stories.

His decision soon paid off because he got a chance to show the industry what he's made off as an actor when he bagged the role of Nxebale Ndoda in eHostela where he impressed Mzansi with his skills.

Khaya said for him the lockdown was bad for what felt like a minute or two but in retrospect it was exactly what he needed.

“So 2020 — or let me just say Covid-19 and it complexities — was bad but only for a while. It did more good than bad for me. I am one of the people for whom 2020 was exactly what I needed. I needed to stop, I needed calculate, rethink, restrategise, rebrand and so many other things.

“Lockdown gave me time to nurture my other skills, like being a casting director. This is a skill I’ve been polishing for so long. I am casting director for a few shows now, some new some yet to come. I love it so much, I love giving jobs to people who are deserving.”

Khaya also recently made a comeback on Uzalo as the much loved GC, and he's excited for fans to see what his storyline has in store for them.