LISTEN | Bonko Khoza gets candid about fame and how acting saved his life

In 2014, before Bonko Khoza was the Bonko Khoza, he was a small-time actor living with depression, dealing drugs from the back of his beetle car, itching to make a living and cement his name in the industry. 

His big break would come later when he played Jabz in the acclaimed film Necktie Youth, a role which marked a turning point in his career where he says a part of him died when the character died.

“It was therapy for me, where the nightlife and the drugs went with Jabz. The success of the film showed me a light, being in New York, nominated alongside my idols,” he told TshisaLIVE.

He's since then looked to acting as a means of catharsis.

“Maybe acting is something that can help me. Navigating characters and using these characters as a release, and using the characters as a therapy, in a weird way is a healing process for me. It keeps me sane.”

Bonko admitted that aside from all the characters he's played, playing the role Mqhele Zulu on the Showmax original series The Wife was one of the hardest he's done.  

Though he crafted the character's habits differently from his own, getting his fans to differentiate between the two became hard for him from a fame perspective.

“Committing to a guy like Mqhele from a psychological point of view and from an appearance point of view, there was work we had to do. Mqhele was hard-core. We built Mqhele so far from Bonko that I could spare myself, especially [because] he's quite a traumatic character.” 

In August 2022, Bonko bid farewell to the drama series after playing Mqhele for two seasons. 

“Mental health comes first for everybody. I wasn't in a good space ... was it the fame, workload or fatigue? I think it was a combination of things. I think the point is I didn't see myself fit to deliver to the people who look up to me.

“I don't ever want to feel I'm doing things for money. I never want to shortchange people who support me, and in that same breath, I want to preserve myself for them because I can be Mqhele forever or realise that I'm only 32 and there's so much more. Things are going to come, but Bonko is only one n*gg* so if I compromise my mental health or myself for one job I am denying the audience of a lifelong experience.” 

Since walking away from the award-winning show, Bonko has gone from strength to strength working on big productions, including The Woman King, The Mauritanian, and Office Invasion. 

He's got more great work in the pipeline. 

He stars in the upcoming animation film Headspace as Norman and Daddy Joe in Disney Junior's comedy series Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes.

In December he makes his debut on another Showmax original series.