Bio
Jerry Mofokeng is a South African legend of the stage and screen who has appeared in a number of critically-acclaimed films, including Cry, The Beloved Country; Mandela And De Klerk; and the 2005 Academy Award-winning film Tsotsi.
Mofokeng attended Orlando West High School and Youth Alive Ministries in Soweto in the 1970's. He acted in community theatre during the turbulent years of the students' unrest.
He proceeded to Wits Drama School where he initially took his major in acting. He went on to study at Columbia University in America, where he obtained his Masters Degree in Theatre Directing.
In the 1990's he went through an eclectic career spanning from teaching at his alma mater – Wits, to an Associate Artistic Director at The Johannesburg Civic Theatre, to the Chief Director of Mpumalanga Department of Sports and Culture, and finally the Artistic Director of The State Theatre in Pretoria.
Now Jerry is a freelance artist investing his varied skills in the arts – acting, directing, writing and teaching.
He has played numerous varied roles in film and television, including Hlabeni the taxi driver in Cry, The Beloved Country; Walter Sisulu in One Man One Vote; Thami in Friends; Hank in Drumbeats; Induna in Rhodes; Mzwakhe in Inside; Vusi in Tarzan; Magistrate in Justice For All; lawyer in Yizo Yizo; the diviner in Bones and Darkie the cop in Behind The Badge.
He was also the host of the magazine programme Curious Culture.
In 2006 he appeared in the mini-series When We Were Black and he played the role of Nkosi in the SABC2 drama series The Mating Game, in 2010.
In 2013 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Acting at the 7th annual South African Film and Television Awards.
In November of the same year he joined the e.tv soapie Scandal! in the role of crime lord Neo Mokheti.
He also had a starring role as Elias Matume Malema, a 45% shareholder in Late Bliss Retirement Community who can't wait to get rid of the residents and Pete in order to finally have his dream Jazz Eden, in the SABC3 sitcom Let Heaven Wait, in 2013.