Luzuko Nteleko has some big shoes to fill as he replaces Pallance Dladla
|||MUNYA VOMO
WHEN The Bold and the Beautiful replaces a popular character like Ridge Forrester, there is always an outcry. In fact, did you know that besides Ron Moss (the real Ridge), two other actors – Lane Davies and Thorsten Kaye – have also played the character. This is a risk that producers take because the show must go on.
Luzuko Nteleko is feeling the heat as the replacement for Pallance Dladla on SABC1’s hit drama, Tempy Pushas.
“I was very happy that I got to play X on Tempy Pushas, because I had been a fan of the show for a while.
“It is the third season, so we have our work cut out for us because there is so much we are doing with the existing storylines,” he said. He acknowledges that he is in a challenging position, but he is glad that he works with a very supportive cast and crew.
“I am replacing Pallance in this role and I have never done this before. The old cast, which includes Akhumzi Jezile and Tumie Ngumla, were very helpful in making me feel at home on set.
“I have worked in several shows before, where people were not that accommodating to cast members who were added along the way, so it was really heart-warming,” he said.
While this is wonderful, Nteleko can’t deny that the fans will have their say – and he is prepared for that.
“I have made peace with the fact that there will be comparisons between me and Pallance. It is just one of those things that fans of a show will do.
“However, I know I don’t look anything like the guy and I am not trying to. The job I have cut out for me is to try not to be him, but to take over from where he left character X. I need to get into those shoes and get it right,” he said.
The other challenge is that the character Nteleko is playing is an extrovert and the somewhat shy actor has to come out of his shell and bring X to life.
“In the beginning, I was not comfortable with what X was all about. All those who know me know that I am an easy-going person. I don’t like things that draw attention to me and X is the complete opposite.
“He is pompous and loves to let everyone know that he has arrived. “That was hard for me to master. In my other roles I am usually someone else’s boyfriend so I got really comfortable with that,” he said excitedly.
Tempy Pushas airs from Friday, October 7 at 8.30pm on SABC1.