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AFTER months of shooting, rumours of cast members leaving the show, and debates about new additions to the telenovela, The Wife is back.
The first three episodes dropped last Thursday and gave fans a glimpse of Wiseman Mncube as the new Mqhele Zulu, the abusive, ice-cream-loving husband of Hlomu (Mbalenhle Mavimbela). Wiseman takes over from Bonko Khoza, who left the role after the last season.
Hlomu and Mqhele’s love story remains complicated this season. Wiseman warns Mqhele is still “dark and abusive”, while Mbalenhle says, “We’re deep into toxic love now… There’s definitely going to be crazy stuff that’s going to shock viewers this season.”
Wiseman is no stranger to dark roles, having starred as Jama in eHostela and Sibonelo in Uzalo. He also stars in the upcoming epic Shaka iLembe.
“I won’t lie; it’s been nice,” he says.
“It’s been an interesting journey between Mbalenhle and me because we’ve known each other on Instagram and we would just compliment and show appreciation for each other’s work. We’ve always said that one day we will work together, God willing.
“So when it happened, it became a full circle moment. That in itself made it easy because we both wanted to work together.”
He slid right into the family as he had a history with most of them, having mentored Kwenzo Ngcobo (Qhawe) at school and worked with Swelihle Luthuli (Ntsika) on eHostela, Thulane Shange (Mqoqi) on Uzalo, and Mondli Makhoba (Nkosana) on Shaka Ilembe.
“It has been so great and easy to work with the gents because they really are my brothers. Since these are people I’ve been close with from outside, it was very easy for me to feel comfortable and for them to accept me on set.”
Wiseman says being cast as Mqhele came as a shock.
“I was shooting Shaka ILembe at the time. I got the call on a Friday and had to start the following week. I’ve never had to replace someone before and I’ve always wondered how it feels to fill someone else’s shoes. This was the one thing that was pressing on my mind.”
He quickly realised he could not try to be Bonko.
“I tried not to do the exact same as how he did it because as people, we are not the same. So I had to come up with my approach but still keep it within the story. Mqhele and Hlomu are a couple that’s loved, so for me, it was just to add on with my own interpretation of this love story. I’m not here to replace Bonko, but to start my own journey as Mqhele and run with it in my own way.”
For Wiseman, the key to his approach was listening to the scripts.
“The script had all the answers I needed. If you listen carefully to what’s written, you’ll never go wrong. If it moves me a certain way, then ultimately that’s how the viewers are going to feel too.”
This season centres on two star-crossed lovers: Tswana doctor Naledi Montsho and Zulu taxi driver Qhawe. Gaisang K Noge stars as Naledi opposite Kwenzo Ngcobo as Qhawe. The new season picks up with the Zulu brothers’ crimes now front-page news — and Naledi kidnapped. — Drum//
Online Reporter