At the 17th annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs17) ceremony over the weekend, legendary South African actor Dr Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha delivered a strong message aimed at directors.
With an auditorium filled with the best in the TV word from behind the screens to in front, the actor, while accepting the award for Most Popular TV Soap or telenovela along with some ‘Scandal’ members, got the issue of working with influencers off his chest.
“Producers, directors cast actors, not models,” he said, achieving huge reaction from the audience. Because, we want to act and we respect our craft...
Finally it had to be said 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼#SAFTAs17 #SAFTAs pic.twitter.com/o24rfyQy5k
— Tsitso🇿🇦 (@Tsitso_Msomi) October 1, 2023
“It’s not about the number of followers you have but the craft that you bring to the set. And those of us who are actors bafethu nothing lasts like discipline and professionalism.”
The ‘Scandal’ actor went on to expand on his thoughts in an Instagram post, where he revealed the preferential treatment influencers get and how they pull their weight on set because of their numbers.
“You get on set ready to rehearse. The influencer arrives 2-hours late and it’s no issue. They saunter into the dressing room and then the make-up artists have to work around the phone that is glued to their hand.
“They finally get on set and the director has to be careful not to cross them. The producers and the channel must always be happy. The scene is blocked and you feature prominently when they are not in a close-up.
“Then the cherry on the cake is when you are told to tone-down your acting because you are not number 1 on the call sheet.
“You dare not upstage or upset the ‘Lead’. This is not an exaggeration. Acting is like playing a tennis game. It’s a give and take.”