Actor Zenzo Ngqobe on breaking into international films and staying relevant
It's a chilly afternoon when we catch up with him over the phone.
As he chats to us, we quickly pick up that although he's an award-winning star, he has a humble and cordial demeanour. He also reveals that his focus is on international features.
'I haven't been on a daily show for about a year now and I'm working on international feature films. I've been working on international projects such as the United Kingdom. That's where my passion lies now,' he says.
He made a name for himself when he played the role of Stone Khuze in e.TV's erstwhile show Rhythm City, and since then he's joined shows such as The River and The Queen.
He has also starred in feature films such as Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Blood Diamond, and Partly Cloudy and Hot, a feature film he starred in won a gong in Canada.
Read more | Actor Buyile Mdladla opens up about typecasting struggles and lessons learned in showbiz
'That project was close to my heart because it was produced by my favourite producer. I enjoy being in feature films,' he quips coyly.
Like most of his industry colleagues, being on a daily show means stability.
'For me, daily shows only make sense for a monthly paycheck, but I'm mostly interested in making movies,' he shares.
'I never wanted to stay long on a daily show, and also because of the hectic schedule that comes with being on a daily show.'
He concedes that when he joined a daily show, he was much younger, and one of the drawbacks of being on a daily show is that 'they don't allow you to be doing other things, so your freedom is limited.'
'Also, if you stay longer, for example, 20 years, you struggle to get a job in other shows, because they associate you with your previous role, it becomes difficult to break away from your role,' he explains.
On a sad note, he recently lost his friend and colleague, Presley Chweneyagae, with whom he worked on Tsotsi and The River, who died, and he delivered an emotional speech at his funeral.
'You know I'm strong, but you've made me weak, boy. Each role you played, you did with passion, and you taught me a lot about the craft,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Former Child Star Lil Tay Begins OnlyFans Journey At 18 With $1M Earned Right Out Of The Gate
Former child star Lil Tay reportedly pulled in over a million dollars just three hours after launching her OnlyFans account. The influencer posted a snapshot of her earnings on X and added a caption where she claimed that she had broken the previous record set by rapper Bhad Bhabie. Since sharing the revelation, Lil Tay has faced criticism from numerous social media users. The Influencer Earned Over A Million Within Three Hours Lil Tay has revealed she made over $1 million within just three hours of debuting her OnlyFans account. The teenager first rose to fame at an early age and has seemingly ensured she remains in the spotlight by opening an account on the adult platform. Taking to X, Lil Tay shared a screenshot of her earnings alongside the caption: "Not bad for 3 hours… We broke the f-ck out of that OnlyFans record." The image showed her total earnings listed as $1,024,298.09, with $511,000.79 coming from subscriptions alone. As part of the earnings, Lil Tay also received over $26,000 in tips and nearly $490,000 for messages. Although OnlyFans has yet to confirm it, Lil Tay appears to have surpassed the previous top-earning debut set by Bhad Bhabie in April 2021. At the time, the rapper earned over $1 million in just under six hours. Lil Tay Revealed She Was Inspired By Sydney Sweeney And Sabrina Carpenter On TikTok, Lil Tay previously revealed to fans that her inspiration behind joining the platform was sex-positive celebs like Sydney Sweeney and Sabrina Carpenter. The influencer began, "I just turned 18, and honestly, my biggest reason for wanting to drop the link has been Sabrina Carpenter and Sydney Sweeney." She continued, "They are literally my top inspirations, and honestly, for anybody that doesn't like them, and is sh-tting on them, and doesn't think they are inspirational, you need to check your misogyny." The Influencer Slammed Sydney Sweeney And Sabrina Carpenter's Critics As Haters Lil Tay went on to slam the backlash the two women have received in recent times, adding that every girl out there should see them as their inspirations. Towards the conclusion of the nearly one-minute video, Lil Tay also stated that their critics were individuals who are haters and don't want women to be able to express themselves. She then proclaimed herself as the youngest to stand behind the two superstars and was doing so by dropping her OnlyFans link. Netizens Criticized Lil Tay For Opening An OnlyFans Account Following her OnlyFans debut, several netizens slammed Lil Tay's decision to open an OnlyFans account. A user wrote, "I thought Lil Tay was based for all the takes she made previously, but oh well, she really did fall down onto the earth's crust by turning into a hypocrite the moment she turned 18. Shame on you and the weirdos who bought your adult content." "She needs help. But also, there are a lot of weirdos in this world that subscribe as soon as she turns 18," another user commented. "If I speak on Lil Tay making an onlyfans the second she turned 18, i might get called anti feminist," a third netizen remarked. Someone else alleged that Lil Tay had misrepresented her age and insisted she should never have had access to the platform at this time. The individual wrote, "Someone please explain this to me because she definitely isn't 18, she was 9 in 2018 and stated last year that she was 14. She should currently be 15 — 16 at the most — so, what is going on here?" Lil Tay Was Previously The Victim Of A Death Hoax In 2023, Lil Tay made headlines after a statement was posted on her Instagram account announcing her death. However, no official confirmation ever surfaced from her parents, and there were no reports of her passing filed with authorities in Los Angeles, where she resides. The post was then taken down the following day, and Lil Tay reappeared on social media about a month later. The influencer later told Rolling Stone that her estranged father, Christopher Hope, was behind the death hoax, claiming it was a "last resort to sabotage her." Hope denied the accusation at the time, calling it false and alleging that the hoax was actually a publicity stunt orchestrated by Lil Tay's camp. "Somebody has a strategy that a good way to get publicity is to make accusations against me. They're all false," Hope told the outlet. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sataves, Dam Of Thorpedo Anna, Named National Broodmare Of The Year
Sataves, Dam Of Thorpedo Anna, Named National Broodmare Of The Year originally appeared on Paulick Report. The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced today the state breeders of the year, National Broodmare of the Year, Claiming Crown Horse of the Year, and Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year for the 40th anniversary of the TOBA National Awards. 2025 State and Canadian Breeders of the Year are: Arizona Breeder of the Year – Fleming Thoroughbred Farm LLC (Marvin and Gerald Fleming) Arkansas Breeder of the Year – McDowell Farms (Bill McDowell) California Breeder of the Year – Richard Barton Enterprises (Richard Barton) Canada Breeder of the Year – Adena Springs Canada Small Breeder of the Year – Jesse Korona Florida Breeder of the Year – Stonehedge, LLC (Marilyn Campbell) Indiana Breeder of the Year – Justice Farms, Inc. (Greg Justice) Iowa Breeder of the Year – Poindexter Thoroughbreds, LLC (Allen Poindexter) Kentucky Breeder of the Year – Godolphin Louisiana Breeder of the Year – Tony Doughtie Maryland Breeder of the Year – Larry Johnson New Jersey Breeder of the Year – Vincent Annarella New Mexico Breeder of the Year – J. Kirk and Judy Robison New York Breeder of the Year – William Butler North Carolina Breeder of the Year – Nancy Shuford Oregon Breeder of the Year – Connie and Lee Erickson Pennsylvania Breeder of the Year – Warriors Reward LLC (Donnie Brown and Tom McClay) South Carolina Breeder of the Year – Franklin G. Smith Sr. Texas Breeder of the Year – Danele Durham Virginia Breeder of the Year – Audley Farm Equine, LLC Washington Breeder of the Year – Nina and Ron Hagen Sataves has been named National Broodmare of the a Saltshaker will be honored as Claiming Crown Horse of the Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year will go to Zealand. 'It is a great honor and privilege for TOBA to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the state breeders, as well as these three amazing horses,' said TOBA president Dan Metzger. 'They each achieved remarkable success in 2024 and we look forward to celebrating with them in what promises to be a memorable evening at Fasig-Tipton.'The TOBA National Awards Luncheon honoring the winning breeders will be held on Friday, Sep. 5, 2025 at Godolphin, followed by the TOBA National Awards Dinner on Saturday, Sep. 6, 2025 at music and 14-time Grammy award-winning Dan Tyminski and the Dan Tyminski Band will perform live at the 2025 TOBA National Awards. Tickets for the TOBA National Awards are available online at This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
What's Really Behind the Cult of Labubu
The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. A furry fiend with rabbit ears and a maniacal grin has recently been spotted twerking next to the singer Lizzo, baring its teeth on the former soccer star David Beckham's Instagram, and flopping against a woman's Chanel bag while wearing its own Tic Tac–size Chanel bag. The creature in question is Labubu—a soft-bellied plushie that the Chinese company Pop Mart began distributing in 2019, and that has, in the past year, gained hordes of admirers. In 2024, Pop Mart reported a more than 700 percent increase in the stuffie's sales. People have been doling out anywhere from about $30 to $150,000 a toy. At Brooklyn raves, adults hop around under neon lights with Labubus clipped to their belt loops. The devotion, at times, has turned almost ferocious; Pop Mart decided to suspend in-person sales of Labubu in the United Kingdom after reports of chaos at stores. Commentators have offered all sorts of theories as to why Labubu has become a sensation. One factor might be scarcity: Each new Labubu release on Pop Mart's online store tends to sell out in minutes. Another might be surprise: The plushie arrives in a blind box. (It could be pink or gray; wear overalls or hold a Coke.) Some people have suggested that the Labubu hype is a product of a trickle-down celebrity effect, or that the toy has become a gay icon. But the way I see it, the cult of Labubu is simply an extension of the phenomenon known as 'kidulthood,' in which the boundary between childhood and adulthood keeps growing fuzzier and fuzzier. In the past few years, more American adults have been buying stuffed animals—some, researchers have told me, in an effort to reject staid versions of adulthood and inject more play into grown-up life. These adults have usually kept their plushies at home, relegating them to bookshelves and beds. Labubus, though, are 'public displays of cuteness,' Erica Kanesaka, an Emory University professor and cute-studies scholar, told me in an email. Devotees carry Labubu into subway cars, office cubicles, and dental schools. They clock into shifts at KFC with the toy literally attached to their hip, and take it along for their workdays as football players or airline pilots. [Read: Welcome to kidulthood] Adults in other countries—Japan, perhaps most notably—have long worn objects featuring cute characters, such as Hello Kitty, out and about, hooked to bags and key chains. In the 1990s, it wasn't uncommon to see white-collar Japanese salarymen with Hello Kitty accessories dangling from their phones. The trend, Simon May, a philosopher and the author of The Power of Cute, told me, might have been born of a postwar rejection of overt aggression: After World War II, cute aesthetics were one way that Japan revamped its public-facing image. The country, May said, changed its self-presentation '180 degrees from militarism to pacifism.' But in the United States, loving cute objects has historically been written off as escapism at best and a worrying swing toward infancy at worst. Adults who embraced childlike things were 'seen to be irresponsibly regressive, morally immature, and refusing to play their full part in society,' May said in an email after we spoke. As recently as 2020, in an article about plushies, one writer self-consciously described her stuffed hound as her 'deep dark secret.' Yet, as I've previously reported, this defensiveness about loving cute objects has been gradually dissipating, part of a century-long evolution in which childhood has come to be seen as a protected life stage. Nowadays, May said, 'to be childlike also has an increasingly positive connotation in terms of openness to ideas and freedom from dogmatism.' At the same time, attitudes about what it means to be an adult are shifting. Many have assumed that children are supposed to 'grow out of vulnerability' when they become adults, Sandra Chang-Kredl, a professor at Concordia University, in Montreal, who has studied adults' attachments to stuffed animals, told me. But more and more, people are pushing back on that idea. Years ago, 'it would have been hard to admit that, let's say, Oh, I have anxiety,' Chang-Kredl said. 'Today, there's no shame involved in it.' Pop Mart has capitalized on this transformation, marketing Labubus—and its other collectibles—specifically to young adults. The company's social-media posts seem to be aimed at Monday-hating, coffee-drinking workers who might log in to Zoom meetings from disastrously messy rooms or prefer to be outside, playing with buddies (or toys), rather than reporting to an office. Evidence suggests that this approach has been successful; one analysis of Pop Mart's web traffic found that 39 percent of visitors to the online store in April ranged in age from 25 to 34. Shame dies hard, though, which might be another reason Labubu has gained traction. Within the realm of cute things, a demonic-looking stuffie is more 'ugly-cute'—adorable, monstrous, deliberately weird. (Ugly-cuteness is also by no means a new phenomenon; think of the pygmy-hippo sensation Moo Deng, toys such as UglyDolls and Cabbage Patch Kids, or the eternal appeal of the pug.) People 'feel that they themselves are a little bit edgy,' Joshua Dale, a cute-studies professor at Chuo University, in Tokyo, told me, 'for liking something that some people don't like.' [Read: The 'Espresso' theory of gender relations] As with any popular trend, Labubu does have its haters—or at least some tongue-in-cheek provocateurs. People have suggested (semi-jokingly) that the toy is possessed, possibly by a demon called Pazuzu. The singer Katy Perry, at a recent concert in Australia, used her mic to smack a Labubu out of a fan's hand. 'No Labubus!' she commanded sternly. Still, Labubu's creepy-cute duality does feel very of this moment, in line with a certain strain of the culture that seeks to undercut anything that feels too buttoned-up. Consider the popularity of 'brat'—an irony-tinged aesthetic that embraces the messy and ugly-cute over the prepped and polished. Last year, my colleague Spencer Kornhaber described the 'brat' mood as 'a little immature, a little selfish, a little nasty.' He also noted that the singer Charli XCX, whose songs affirm that the party-girl life has no age limit, and pop artists such as Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan seem to be making music offering 'the assurance that growing up, in the conventional sense, is just optional.' Wearing Labubu, especially on a designer purse or a backpack meant for grown-ups, is a choice that speaks in a similar register. It signals a 'playful attitude to life,' May told me, 'a winking at the world.' Monday will come around again, with its dreaded wake-up alarms and emails. But according to the logic of kidulthood, you might feel a tiny bit better if you bring a devilish tchotchke to that 9 a.m. meeting. Article originally published at The Atlantic Solve the daily Crossword
