Bohang Moeko is truly the actor he believes himself to be
|Published
The call to become an actor was impossible for Bohang Moeko to ignore. Though he earned an Honors degree in Quantity Surveying from the University of the Free State, it would have been a significant loss for the South African entertainment industry had he remained in his nine-to-five job.
Moeko's breakthrough came in 2015 when he landed his first role as Victor on Zabalaza. From there, his career took off, portraying a range of diverse characters: a boxer in Ring of Lies, a rugby player in Is'thunzi, an accountant in Housekeepers, a former soldier in The Queen, a gay marketing manager in Scandal!, and a doctor in both Isidingo and the American series The Hot Zone. He also starred as Lunga in the Netflix Original feature film Seriously Single and brought to life the character of Gabriel in Isono, BET Africa's first-ever locally co-produced daily drama that reached an international audience. The list of his accomplishments goes on.
Most recently, we've seen this talented actor taking the lead in the successful Netflix spin-off How to Ruin Love: The Proposal.
GQ caught up with Bohang to discuss his role in the four-part series and delve into his flourishing acting career.
GQ: Firstly, what led a graduate with an Honours degree in Quantity Surveying to pursue a career in acting?
Bohang Moeko: Acting is something that I had expressed wanting to do at a very young age, but for some reason I never actively pursued it. I was working as an intern Quantity Surveyor and was completely miserable. My mind and heart weren’t in it at all and that also made me a terrible employee.
I didn’t expect the experience to be what it was. During that period I found an acting coach and started going to acting classes. In my very first acting class something in me came alive and I just knew that this is where I’m meant to be. I ended up taking those classes for about 9 months.
GQ: What's the secret behind your incredible on-camera chemistry with Sivenathi Mabuya? It's truly captivating to watch.
Bohang Moeko: Thank you! Sive and I have known each other for a long while and have worked together before, although not this close, so the familiarity and the friendship off screen created a great foundation for the chemistry we have on-screen. We naturally get along really well and are both acutely aware and observant people so we’re able to pick up on each others energies. She’s also just amazing to work with so that goes a long way.
GQ: Comedy often has a unique rhythm compared to other genres. How did you specifically prepare for the nuances of this role?
Bohang Moeko: I started with the scripts. The scripts were well written and that’s always a good foundation for great work. I also think speaking to the producers and directors helped a lot with that.
Burnt Onion has found a winning formula and they’re so great with comedy so we got a help and direction from both the producers and the directors. We also had rehearsals that allowed us to start finding and playing with the nuances.
GQ: What were your initial thoughts upon reading the script, and what ultimately convinced you to join this series?
Bohang Moeko: My initial thoughts were those of excitement at how funny, relatable and authentic the story and characters are in How To Ruin Love. I really didn’t need any convincing, I was sold.
GQ: Do you share any similarities with Kagiso Phatudi, your character?
Bohang Moeko: Yeah, like him, I’ve struggled to say “No” and to set boundaries. Like him, I’ve been guilty of being a people pleaser. And as much as his family can drive him crazy sometimes, he loves them, he’s there for them and he wants to provide for them, I can relate to that.
GQ: What does it mean to you as an actor to have your work on Netflix, which reaches over 190 countries worldwide?
Bohang Moeko: It’s such a massive deal and a huge blessing because it means that my work is able to touch so many different people around the world. It means we get to give people a window into our world as South Africans, the way we talk, our languages and culture and music. It’s a dream come true, I’ve always wanted my work to be seen globally.
GQ: How was your experience filming the series, and what were the standout moments for you?
Bohang Moeko: It was an absolute blast filming How To Ruin Love! A lot of work, but it never felt like it. There were moments when I would stand there and ask myself, “Are we really getting paid to have this much fun?” It was amazing. The moments that stood out for me were filming the beach sequence, which took two days to film, I’ve never had to try that hard not to laugh. Shooting the scenes on the boat was great too.
GQ: What is it about the series that resonates with millions of viewers?
Bohang Moeko: I think it’s how relatable and authentically South African it is. Denzel Washington says, “The universal stems from the specific” and I believe that. The more specific and authentic the characters and story is, the more people will be able to see themselves or someone they know in those characters and stories. It’s also a really funny and well-paced story that makes people feel good.
GQ: You’ve been in the industry for a minute. What advice would you give to upcoming actors?
Bohang Moeko: Stay focussed on doing the best work you can do. Don’t compare yourself and your journey to others. And if you really love it, keep going. There’ll be ups and downs, but keep going.
GQ: Are you currently working on any noteworthy projects?
Bohang Moeko: I’m on an interesting new series that should be coming out sometime soon on Showmax. It hasn’t been announced yet so I can’t say much about it. I’m also excited about an international Christmas film coming out later this year.