Last Friday (12 March 2010) 27-year old financial advisor Sisa Hewana won the role of soccer-star-turned-presenter Ace in the
Isidingo Talent Search. This week he started work on the soapie: five days a week, 12-hours a day, filming up to 10-scenes daily.
Is it just me or you also suprised? I expected the show would ease him into things - maybe start with a couple of scenes and build it all up type thing.
With his arrival on the scene having happened so suddenly we know very little about him so I thought it would cool to find out more. I chatted to him yesterday, while he was on-set:
Tashi: Could you tell us more about you?
Sisa: I’m from PE - that’s where I grew up all my life, but I was born in Durban. I went to school in PE and yeah, I’ve always wanted to be an artist - whether it be acting or going to theatre so when I saw this opportunity I was was like “Ja man, let me just try this out and give it my best shot.”
It’s one thing to just have a dream and it’s another to do something about it - people will tell you: “Okay cool, you need to improve here,” or “This is what you need to do” or perhaps, “You need to quit the whole thing.”
I’m a fun-loving guy, I enjoy playing, I enjoy acting - I do music as well, part-time, I write my own music. I’m my mom’s only child but I was raised by my grandparents - I have lots of cousins so I come from a very big family. I also have a daughter, Libone, she’s a year and half now.
Tashi: So you’ve relocated to Jozi from PE now?
Sisa: Ja, basically I have - at the moment I’m staying at a temporary place but I’m getting my own place very soon.
Tashi: Have you done any acting before?
Sisa: No, not at all actually, it’s totally first time.
Tashi: You started working on the show immediately on Monday - what have you been up to?
Sisa: I came through on Monday - I was a bit nervous but the guys made me feel relaxed. The moment they say “Action!” all the nerves just go away. It’s been hectic in terms of - it’s been mentally challenging.
You come to work at like 07h15 and you leave at 19h30 so you’re here for 12 hours. I’ve been doing 10 scenes every day so I’ve had to learn really quickly. At night I’ve had to learn lines for the 10 scenes coming tomorrow so it’s everyday - I haven’t had time to digest everything, I’ve just been in character all the time.
Tashi: When will we see you on-screen?
Sisa: I'm not sure of the exact date but it'll be in May.
Tashi: What’s the first thing that you had to say?
Sisa: I was introduced and I had to say “Thank you,” to the people who were clapping for me and "Thank you" to the character of Rajesh who introduces me to the OnTV! Team.
Tashi: You say you haven’t had time to adjust it to all - what sort of adjustments do you envisage for the future?
Sisa: The only adjustments for me are time issues - when I’m here, time just flies. Yesterday I think I got home at about 20h30 - I wasn’t even checking the time.
When I left it was evening and I wasn’t even aware of that whereas before I’d always look at the time and think, “Okay, cool, I’ll probably get out of work at 16h30.” That’s been quite interesting for me.
Learning lines too, but it’s becoming easier. Some days you’re given lines just before you do the scene and you have a minute to learn them.
Tashi: Have you felt pressure to
not get them wrong in front of everyone?
Sisa: Yes, before I go on set, I do have that sort of pressure thing but when I’m on, it changes and disappears. You know, being a financial advisor I’d always be meeting different people - I’d go to appointments with people I’d never met so you’d prepare before going. We’d do role-plays and things like that at work so in a way I think being in a certain role and being in a certain frame of mind helped me.
Tashi: If you weren’t competing for the role, who would you have chosen as the winner from the other four contenders?
Sisa: Honestly, I thought Mothusi was gonna take it. For me, I was like “Okay, if I don’t make this I have to have a backup plan.”
The results were announced on Friday and by the Thursday before I already knew what I was gonna do if I didn’t get the role. I enjoyed myself so much on set that I said to myself: “I’m going to pursue a career in this no matter what happens,” so I was already talking to agents and getting my name out there.
Tashi: Have you smooched
Hlubi (Nandipha) yet?
Sisa: *laughs* Well, there is a scene, yes, there is a scene.
Tahi: So you’ve kissed already?
Sisa: Yes.
Tashi: Ah okay, can you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 - 1 being: “Nah!” and 10 being: “Hott.”
Sisa: Well basically it wasn’t just a kiss ... how can I put it? She wasn’t expecting it so it wouldn’t be fair judging it but I’d probably give it a 9.
Tashi: You mean she didn’t see it in the script?
Sisa: Yes, she didn’t see it coming. I was like: “I’m doing this anyway.”
Tashi: What’s the craziest thing about doing it all?
Sisa: The energy. There’s so much energy. Round about, after lunch, it gets, you know, you’re kinda tired but the energy’s just there, somehow, somewhere - I don’t know where it comes from but it’s there. Also, working with the cast, the way everyone just switches into character, it’s brilliant, it’s great.
Tashi: And the biggest challenge?
Sisa: I think the biggest challenge is off-set, when you have to prepare. It’s quite an experience learning lines because I’m used to going home and doing nothing, playing games or whatever - it's good for me I think because I like keeping busy, I really do.
Tashi: And the best part?
Sisa: The playing - saying: “You’re playing this character, I’m playing this character, let’s go.” When you’re actually on set - I prefer my scenes to be filmed one after the other because that way I feel “I’m still kicking, I’m still kicking - let’s go.”
Tashi: How do you see the future?
Sisa: I’d like to see Ace get more depth - not just being a charmer guy because he has interest in business and in other things.
Even his character, the way that he loves women so much, the way he’s so smoothe - you can sort of sense that there’s something beneath that, that there’s something that needs to come out because he’s always excited, he’s always a happie-chappie - such that you think: “Uh-uh, something’s got to be up with that.”
Tashi: Are they paying you millions?
Sisa: *laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs* Uh, no.
Tashi: I have to ask that question but no-one ever tells me how much they get paid other than
Khanyi Mbau.
Tashi: Who’s your all-time best actor in the world? Ever. Of all time.
Sisa: In South Africa I like
Hlomla - I think he’s very, very cool. He adapts to all kinds of characters and he does the directing which is cool.
Overseas I’d say Will Smith - he’s the kinda guy, he can do comedy, he can drama, he can do anything.
You know what, on-set, I’m very, very impressed with
Keke (Ma Agnes) because she is so not like Ma Agnes - I was very, very shocked, she’s
so not like Ma Agnes - she just
gets into character.
Ends