‘Outlaw’ star Nirvana Nokwe likes to rate her on-screen performances

Being an actor is enjoyable but you are also automatically self-critical and Nirvana Nokwe embraces the power of self-awareness.

So, week after week – for 40 episodes – the 27-year-old actor would zoom in on her breakthrough lead role of Sihle Biyela in Outlaws, poking holes into her performance. Propelled by her curiosity, she also admits to diving into a rabbit hole and reading scathing social media reviews.

The Showmax series that debuted last September just ended its season one run with a nail-biting finale on Wednesday.

“Watching the finale on Wednesday night was quite emotional for me because for the first time, I was watching it as a viewer. There were moments where I thought my performance was terrible but came out beautifully. I had a mixture of emotions but I’m so happy that the work translated how it did which makes me so happy,” Nokwe said.

“I feel so sensitive about my work and my output. Having studied film and shot a short film, I’m passionate about things falling into sequence to tell the bigger story.

“Usually everyone sees the end product and all the scrutiny comes down on the actor, hence how I deliver a storyline matters to me. I’d watch the same episode five times just to check how I can better execute my storytelling skills.”

Nokwe, the daughter of veteran entertainers Bheki Mseleku and Tu Nokwe, rose to fame for her soothing sultry voice in her music. She also had supporting roles in TV shows like Reyka. But Outlaw was her big break in acting and that came with a lot of pressure.

“I was really numb to it at the beginning because I was more concerned about how people were going to receive me,” she said.

“I remember how I’d go on social media just to read what people were saying about me. Don’t ask me why but there’s a portion of me that believes I have to care what they have to say because at the end of the day, our viewers are our customers and their voice matters... if it’s warranted of course.”

Nokwe said it would not have been possible without her co-stars, praising her on-screen brother Thembinkosi Mthembu and love interest Lehlohonolo Mayeza.

“I learnt quite a great deal from Thembinkosi. He’s not afraid to tell you when you’re not delivering but he does it in a very respectful way that it doesn’t invade on your personal process as an actor or the authority of the directors and producers. He’d say it in a very simple way. For example, he 'd say: ‘Take it up a notch’ and I’d understand exactly what he means,” she said. 

“He’s such a big brother and very precise in how a scene should be and I admire that. I also feel that some of my best scenes were with him. We had chemistry on screen, which I feel is Oscar-worthy. 

“Lehlohonolo on the other hand would cushion me. He’d be my voice if I wasn’t heard on set and I loved that about him. Though we would misunderstand each other at times due to our cultural background, mine being Zulu and his being Sotho, we somehow made it work.”