By Keith Mlauzi | Nehanda Showbiz |
The long wait is finally over and the second season of Netflix’s Blood & Water is out with new faces, news secrets and new drama.
One face to reckon is that of a Zimbabwean born model cum actor Leroy Siyafa who embodies the character of Sam in the teen drama series.
Blood & Water was Siyafa’s first acting gig. Nehanda Radio caught up with the actor who opened up about his experience and working with some of the most talented actors in South Africa.
Speaking about his acting debut Siyafa says being on such a huge platform came with a number of mental challenges but through prayer he prevailed.
“I think anyone stepping into a position that they’ve always dreamt of, on such a huge platform so early in life, would be mentally challenged at the prospect of how incremental such an opportunity would be towards helping one to achieve their dreams.
“I had to constantly remind myself that God had purposely placed me in that position and that he had equipped me with enough talent that would ensure that I would grab this opportunity and run away with it as far as I could. I prayed a lot on and off set,” said Siyafa.
Quizzed about the endorsement of various Zimbabwean elements in the series which includes music from DJ Tamuka and Jah Prayzah and also some Shona lines, Siyafa said he was ‘incredibly proud’ to be a Zimbabwean and to represent his country on a ‘huge global platform’.
“I was incredibly proud not just to be able to to represent Zimbabweans but to also be a Zimbabwean myself. To be on a huge global platform like Netflix representing the country of my origin and showing the world that we have a lot of talent as well in our country,” he added.
The 6-episode first season was released on Netflix on 20 May 2020. In June 2020, Netflix renewed the series for a second season, which was released on 24 September 2021.
Siyafa notes that he and his on screen character are not so different though they are some differences as far as life experiences are concerned.
“My character on Blood & Water ‘Sam’ is very similar to me in the sense of that our personalities are pretty much the same.
“However, the differences are that I have not been through some of the experiences that my character goes through in the show and hence the responsibility is mine to ensure that I portray those experiences as truthfully as I can through an understanding of where my character is coming from and how the experiences he is going through affect him as well as how he would react to every single experience etc,” explained Leroy.
The 21-year-old was born in Zimbabwe but moved to South Africa in 2008 and completed his primary and high school years in Cape Town.
Moving to South Africa was a blessing for him as he got “exposed to dramatic arts as a subject” he says thats when he began to “discover the passion and talent for acting.”
Just like many teenagers after high school Leroy decided to change career options and went for software development and modelling.
“After High school I couldn’t pursue that career and instead opted to study software development, however, I signed up with a modelling agency as a way to remain intact with my dream of becoming an actor.”
Leroy is fast becoming a household name as he’s appeared on a number of commercials including some with big brands such as Coca Cola. Nehanda Radio
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