She is one of the country’s favourite actresses, but her reputation is also marred by labels such as “diva” and Brenda Ngxoli wants it all to stop.
The thespian, who has been in the industry for 25 years and has given viewers unforgettable characters such as Vuyo on Home Affairs, Mimi on Tsha Tsha and Dambisa on The River, says having her daughter, Sky, has given her a strength she never knew she had.
“I have always been someone who deals with any kind of issue in private. I would act on set and want to discuss any concerns in boardrooms. But over the years, I have been called names and I kept quiet.
“I am done with that. It has not served me at all. Having Sky has given me courage to own my voice and my truth. I do not know what motherhood has awakened in me, but I believe that I need to be accountable to this little girl.
“I need to pour out into her, and I should be at peace when I do so. She should be able to look at me and see a woman who was able to stand up for herself. What am I going to do when she is older and she sees articles where I am called a diva? I cannot explain what I did to right that false narrative?”
Brenda has taken to social media to air out what some have said is the dirty laundry of the industry.
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She has exposed people she accuses of blackballing her in the industry and alleged racists. There have been some filmmakers who have corroborated her version, by saying they were also told to not work with her because she is difficult, but they chose to work with her anyway, and they were happy with her work ethic.
“When I left The Queen, I did not know I was pregnant and I went on to shoot iNumber Number, and I must thank the cast and crew for their discretion about my pregnancy at the time. Everyone was so gracious. Then I shot something for Amazon, that is coming soon, and they even accommodated my daughter’s nanny. I was able to breastfeed while on set. I will always be grateful for that.”
Some people have compared her to veteran actress Vatiswa Ndara, who has complained about a lot of things, including renumeration from Ferguson Films. Vatiswa played Brenda’s alcoholic mom on Home Affairs.
“Sis Vati is an inspiration. What I like about her, which I also enjoyed from her book, is that she is naming names and not just talking vaguely about industry issues. Unfortunately, I cannot relate to the salary issue. My biggest cheque came from Ferguson Films. I am also noticing that people like Mfundi Vundla and Connie [Ferguson] start people’s careers and the ‘thank you’ they get is, well, questionable.”
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She also been in the spotlight for announcing that she is leaving ubungoma and she says she does not understand what the fuss is about from the public.
“This is a personal journey, and I am not recruiting anyone. I have a calling which I never should have entertained. I am now trying out Christianity. I never grew up going to church, my mother never took me. So even now, I am reading the Bible for the first time. I want to see where this journey will take me.
“But the public is not entitled to such opinions about people’s lives just because they are public figures. I am trying to find answers. I have realised that people have no boundaries, and they feel like they can just comment and diagnose public figures on issues they know nothing about. It is totally disturbing.”
