Ntokozo Dlamini plays a ruthless baddie in Uzalo, quite a departure for an international marketing management graduate.

The Pietermaritzburg-born actor is now fully converted and is at home in the arts. His role as Mastermind in the SABC1 soapie has put him firmly in the spotlight after cameo appearances in Rhythm City, Single Girls and Soul City.

He enjoys playing a baddie.

"Playing a villain is awesome, everyone loves a bad guy. Mastermind is a baddie who really, really loves his family. So he's doing all the bad stuff to put food on the table," Dlamini says.

It would seem TK, as Ntokozo is known to friends, is right because he has been getting an insane amount of love via social media.

"The love that I'm getting from people is amazing, we thank them for watching."

He maintains that in real life he is different to Mastermind.

"We're very different people. Mastermind says what he thinks, he's a straight talker. People don't know that I'm the opposite of that. I'm slightly quiet, I'll be rowdy around my close friends but I'm a quiet person and also shy."

Dlamini says Mastermind's fortunes are about to change and viewers are in for a ride.

"You guys are going to love the new Mastermind. He'll have a new wardrobe, talk differently andwalk differently. You guys will love the transition."

Dlamini made it clear that he was not in a relationship nor on the market either.

"My job and my career are my girlfriend right now, I'm literally dating my job and my career."

His dream woman must be "God-fearing and care for me. I want someone who will love me for me."

While he might be unavailable now, Dlamini let slip his romantic side, like when he once took a girlfriend on an afternoon bike ride which ended in a surprise picnic he'd packed for her.

Dlamini's interests don't end in acting. He is founder of the KZN Entertainment Expo where he tours KwaZulu-Natal informing people about the different sides of the entertainment industry. He gets veterans such as Duma kaNdlovu and Leleti Khumalo to speak at the expo and music stars like Robbie Malinga and Zakes Bantwini to share tips with aspirant singers. Institutions like Vega and AFDA have also come on board.

Dlamini's dream is to work with actors who inspire him such as Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Leonardo Di-Caprio and Johnny Depp.

''Trevor Noah has shown us that we can go overseas and break boundaries. He's an inspiration to me."