Tafara Nyatsanza

Hollywood District in the city of Los Angeles, United States of America, the world's leading movie destination is a place that every actor dreams to be associated with. But not many artists, especially those from the developing nations can earn a place in a cast of movies and television series produced from this prestigious home of entertainment.

Only four Zimbabweans are officially listed as Hollywood actors and these are Tongai Chirisa, Danai Gurira, Charmaine Bingwa and Thandiwe Newton. They have now been joined by a young man from the Eastern Highlands city of Mutare Tafara Nyatsanza who in 2022 landed a role in another Hollywood film Beast.

Beast is an American survival action horror film directed by Baltasar Kormákur from a screenplay by Ryan Engle. It is based on a story by Jaime Primark Sullivan. It is the story of a widowed father played by Idris Elba, and his two teenage daughters who visit a South African game reserve but must fight to survive when they are stalked and attacked by a ferocious man-killing lion.

Nyatsanza, starring as Banji is a tour guide and game ranger who is in love with one of Elba's daughters. Beast was released in the United States on August 19, 2022, by Universal Pictures. The film grossed $59 million worldwide on a $36 million budget and received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. In 2020 Nyatsanza starred in another Hollywood horror film Spell.

Spell in which Nyatsanza features as The Young Man at the Gas Station is an American supernatural horror thriller directed by Mark Tonderai. Nyatsanza is also known for his role as Tendai on South Africa Netflix production Blood & Water, a teen crime drama television series developed by Gambit Films for Netflix.

The series follows a girl who transfers to an elite school when she suspects one of the students may be her sister who was abducted as a baby. The six-episode first season was released on Netflix on 20 May 2020. The series won Best TV Drama at the 2021 South African Film and Television Awards as well as awards for cinematography and sound design.

Tafara Nyatsanza was born to Pius Nyatsanza and Florence Siwellah in Mutare on June 14, 1996. His father was the provincial field officer in the District Development Fund (DDF) water division, while his mother was a teacher at Sakubva 2 Rushingo High School.

In an interview with Ray Bande of Manica Post, Tafara said his parents divorced when he was just one-and-a-half years old. This resulted in him and his elder brother Simba being brought up by their mother. Tafara says his mother struggled to send her two sons to school and this saw Tafara attending primary education at five different schools.

These include Mt Selinda Primary, Emerald Primary in Chipinge, Hode Primary in Rusitu and Tiya Primary in Chimanimani and St Georges Muchena Primary in Penhalonga. For secondary education he went to Chikanga High School in Mutare and later moved to Biriiri High in Chimanimani. Tafara did not pass his O levels. "Unfortunately, I failed my O Levels because I was too playful. After failing Form 4, I went to Cape Town with my mother where I enrolled for Grade 10 which was more like repeating high school."

The Grade 10 curriculum included Drama which became Tafara's favourite subject. "I fell in love with Drama maybe because I was very active and playful. I did Grade 10, 11 and 12 and that is when I discovered the acting talent in me."

Tafara made his acting debut at the Artscape, playing the character of Petrucio in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew in 2014. In 2018 Tafara joined an advertising agency in Cape Town. "They do adverts and international films. I have been auditioning for adverts, commercials, films and everything."

His breakthrough was when he did a one-man show in which he played twelve characters. "That is how deeply focused on theatre I have been." Tafara won the AKOF award for his stage play called Scott written and directed by Morepang Molekoa. The same play also earned him the Best Performance on a one-man show in the 55th edition of the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards.

"I was nominated following the one-man show I did named Scott and I specifically received one for the best performer in the one man show category," Tafara told a Manica Post reporter after receiving the nomination. He said the play received five nominations for the best director, best new director, best new South African script, best performer and best production. "So they are finally recognizing us as one of the best in the country. It is not just in Cape town because this is the best theatre awards ceremony in the country," said Tafara.

The Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards ceremony which has honoured theatre excellence since 1965 is among the most coveted in the South African performing arts fraternity. Fleur du Cap winners are chosen every year after an evaluation of around ninety productions staged at twenty venues in South Africa. The judging panel comprises local critics, journalists, writers and drama lecturers. The competition awards theatre practitioners for acting, directing, staging and technical abilities.

Tafara is studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre-making at the University of Cape Town. He said he is inspired by people who work hard for a living. The horror actor says he does not want his children to experience the horror that he went through when he and his brother were brought up by a single parent. "I would not want to see my children struggle the way my brother and I did when we were being brought up by our mother."

Share this legend's story

Related Searches

ZimLegends

Top Zimbabwean Talent

Featured