Bio
Wright Ngubeni is a South African actor and former child star best known for his role as Jonathan Motene, son of Khaya (Akin Omotoso) and Julia Motene (Xolile Tshabalala), in the SABC1 soap opera Generations, from 2003-2008.
He was later known for his role as Thula on the e.tv soap opera Rhythm City, from 2008-2012. The character launched into the spotlight after sharing a kiss with another man, his friend Stone (played by Zenzo Ngqobe), in a storyline that began in May 2008.
Ngubeni was born in Soweto, Johannesburg. His career began at the age of five as one of the characters on the popular children's television programme, Kideo. By the age of 10, he had featured as an actor in numerous television commercials.
His first presenting job was on SABC2's School TV. Later, he acted in television dramas and corporate videos, including the critically acclaimed industrial video Kingdom of the Sun.
At age 11 he landed a role in the teen drama television series Street Life on SABC3, in which he played the lead role as a street kid. In 2000 Wright re-launched his TV career by appearing in a commercial for national retailer, Edgars.
He made his international debut in the mini series Human Cargo, in which he played Nobakhaba, a Burundian teenager with a Hutu mother and Tutsi father; caught up in a cultural war going on in his country between the tribes.
His next international feature was Shadow, in which he played a small role of the son of Amin Walker. While busy lending his voice to the South African audience as a voice-over artist, he was cast in the popular soapie Generations on SABC1 in the role of Jonathan Motene.
He entered Generations as a 13-year-old boy who had spent the first part of his life in England and had now returned to South Africa with his younger sister and mother.
While on Generations, he auditioned to anchor World of Winners on SABC2. The show, which was initially a five-minute weekly game show, proved to be popular to the point that the SABC extended it to a 30-minute daily live show. It was at this point that he left Generations to pursue live TV.
In 2009 he guest starred on the SABC2 Afrikaans drama series Erfsondes as Sepecia Motsoeng in the episode entitled "Veritas Odit Moras" (Season 2, Episode 7).
He worked as a trainee director on SABC1's Gospel Gold and took over from Tshepo "Howza" Mosese as host of the SABC1 youth lifestyle magazine series Big Bup, which aired on Sunday mornings. Initially a stand-in for Howza while he was on holiday, Ngubeni took over full time as presenter from 2014.
In 2015 he replaced Thomas Gumede as host of the Mzansi Magic reality series Love Back. Gumede hosted the first season and the first two episodes of Season 2, but Ngubeni began as host in Season 2, Episode 3, which aired on Sunday 7 June.
In 2016 Wright starred as the character 5 Bob, a hustler who understands the economics of the street, in the e.tv drama series Heist, inspired by a events at a stadium near Soweto in 2013 during a Justin Bieber concert. He returned for the second season later in 2016, which ran into 2017.
In 2017 he starred as Thulani Zondi, a playboy bachelor and PR maven whose easygoing life is interrupted when his twin sister Thuli moves in with her 10-year-old daughter, in the SABC1 sitcom Thuli noThulani.
His sister is Sarah Ngubeni.