So tonight's the night peeps. (Wednesday, 25 July)
Thuso Mbedu makes her much anticipated debut on Generations: The Legacy in the role of Okuhle, Sphe (Pearl Monama) and Fana's (Duma Mnqobi) cousin.
We've been on the prowl to find out what we can expect from her and got our clutches on Okuhle's character bible, as written by Gen's script writers. It's the bible that Thuso will have worked from to bring her character to life.
As you'll see, it gives insights into Okuhle's emotional make-up, as well as her past and present. Gen's been hush-hush about her future, specifically how long she'll be on the show - whether it's a full-time or guest role - so this remains a question mark.
What we do know is ...
Okuhle Cele
Education:
Okuhle was forced to get a degree, like all the Cele children. She got a BA in African philosophy, just to make her family happy. Afterwards, she did a correspondence course with UNISA and did fashion design.
Personality:
This girl has got guts! She's really, really out there. She doesn't care what anyone thinks. In fact – she likes to stand out. She makes sure she does with the clothes that she wears.
Okuhle is very outspoken, bold and unapologetic, but this can sometimes mean she comes off as insensitive. She really says what’s on her mind and doesn’t really have a filter.
She makes her own decisions and tries to direct her own life in the direction that she wants to go. She refuses to let herself be pushed around by circumstances. She’s confident and strong and knows that she can get it done when she needs to.
Despite her outwardly confident personality, Okuhle is struggling with her own insecurities. Okuhle thinks she knows who she is - but she’s a little delusional about how in touch with her emotions she really is.
She’s the kind of girl who pushes the things away that feel a little icky. She doesn't like being vulnerable or sad or angry. She really thrives on being confident. So whenever something kind of rocks the boat, she just pushes it away.
She’s a master of social media. She’s an aspiring women’s lifestyle / interest vlogger – wants to cover everything from fitness to fashion. Okuhle finds social media fun, but she’s also fascinated with the power of social media. That's what attracts her to this job - the power of it, because it's huge.
To have millions of people seeing what she’s saying or what she’s posting from this thing that everyone carries around with them all day - it's a pretty powerful position to be in.
Okuhle not only has a confidence that makes you want to be her, but also a warmness that makes you root for her no matter what jam she finds herself in.
Appearance:
Physically fit and pretty. She’s a bit of a health nut - eating superfoods and trying every kind of fitness activity under the sun.
Background:
Okuhle is Sphe and Fana’s cousin. Her mother and Sphe’s father were siblings. Okuhle was raised in the Cele royal house because her parents never married. Her older sister died in a tragic accident some time back and as a result Okuhle has been sheltered by her mother - there were a lot of restrictions growing up.
Okuhle has a sense of rivalry towards Sphe and Fana because they were favoured by the royal family based on the fact that they were the children of the son who was going to be next in line for chieftaincy.
Okuhle was never groomed as Sphe was - no one really expected anything out of her.
Present day:
Okuhle is amped to be coming to Joburg - she sees this as an opportunity to get away from everyone and to discover herself. She's come to Johannesburg to help Sphe with the challenges of her marraige and wants to be free to start her own life, have adventures, be successful, and get away from the weight of the Cele family. She’s ambitious and wants to make something of her self.
Though rural, Okuhle is full of life, sexy and sassy - a bit out spoken and has an opinion on everything and everyone. She’s an in the moment person and doesn’t always think before she acts. Okuhle has a manipulative streak to her but it’s not conscious, it’s more of a defence mechanism.