Tongayi Chirisa feels ‘blessed’ to star in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Award winning international Zimbabwean actor Tongayi Chirisa says he is ‘thankful’ and ‘honoured’ to star in this year’s Transformers film, Rise of the Beasts.

The film is the seventh instalment in the Transformers film series and a stand-alone sequel to Bumblebee (2018).

According to the Enthust, Chirisa will voice the character of Cheetor, a Maximal who transforms into a cheetah.

This was revealed in a promotional video on the official Transformers Instagram account.

Chirisa, one of the best actors to ever come out of Zimbabwe, reposted the video, and shared an anecdote about his audition.

“So there is a story to this!!! Per the usual standard .. I had to sign an NDA, so I had NO IDEA what I was reading for.. it was only when I was in the booth to do my voice over that it dawned on me that I was reading for TRANSFORMERS Like what!!! I totally geeked out in the moment.. Man, to say this is mad exciting is an understatement,” he said.

“So thankful. So honored, so blessed!!!! Massive shout out and THANK YOU to Steven Caple Jr for putting your boi on! Appreciate you, fam!!! Transformers movie, IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!!! Welcome y’all. I am your transformer #CHEETOR!!!!”

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the latest science fiction action film based on Hasbro’s Transformers toy line and primarily influenced by the Beast Wars storyline. The film is the seventh installment in the Transformers film series and a stand-alone sequel to Bumblebee (2018).

It is directed by Steven Caple Jr. from a screenplay by Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber.

It will star Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Vélez and Tobe Nwigwe in his film debut, as well the voice talents of Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson, Liza Koshy, Cristo Fernández, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Tongayi Chirisa, and previous voice actors, Peter Cullen, John DiMaggio and David Sobolov.

Chirisa recently featured on AMC’s Mayfair Witches which premiered in January.

He continues to enjoy a stellar run of roles on tv shows and films. In 2022, he starred on the series Women of the Movement, he was alongside fellow Zimbabwean Charmaine Bingwa on the Netflix acquired production Trees of Peace, he was also on Netflix’s The Anthrax Attacks and the film Next Exit.

The popular actor won many NAMA Awards. He played the lead in the comedy feature film Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past. He made a dramatic appearance in the mini-series Rough directed by British director, Andy Wilson, appeared in an international feature film Skin, directed by Anthony Fabian and co-starring Sam Neill, and played a lead in a local drama series Redemption for SABC 1.