'Bagging a lead role on Netflix's Umjolo: The Gone Girl boosted my confidence' – Sibongiseni Shezi

The spotlight is finally shining on theatre thespian, Sibongiseni Shezi, who has scored her first big leading role since acting as Hleziphi on SABC 1’s Uzalo for the past seven years.

As a young, vibrant ballerina born in Clermont, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, Shezi always had a passion for dance and the performing arts.

Her interest in drama grew, which saw the 32-year-old’s dreams of seeing her name in bright lights take centre stage, and this past December holidays, her expectations were exceeded, all thanks to the leading role of Lethu from Netflix's romcom, Umjolo The Gone Girl.

This global attention has earmarked Shezi as one of the leading actors to look out for on our screens in 2025. 

In an interview with SMag, Shezi revealed that a life in front of the camera wouldn’t have been a reality if it wasn’t for a bet she took with a friend years ago that helped her conquer her fear of the stage. 

“In my matric year, 2009, I decided to focus on dance, so when I completed high school, I went to the University of Cape Town [the following year] to study a bachelor of music in dance with the hopes of becoming a professional dancer full-time. However, due to injuries and being in a new city with no family, I ended up not being able to complete my degree, I was left with a year to complete,” she said.

“In 2015, I took a gap year and returned home to KZN. I took that time to discern what I wanted to do. In 2016, the television scene was growing more than theatre, so I thought of transitioning from theatre acting to television. Thankfully, I decided to go to Afda – just to try again. However, during this time I developed performance anxiety which made me think that I was going to end up venturing into cinematography.” 

While carrying her fear of performance, Shezi scored her first role on SA’s most-watched soapie in 2018 – a supporting role that unknowingly saw her be stagnant in her craft.

“Getting my first role on Netflix gave me the confidence that I am good enough to lead. I had always supported other characters’ stories and now, I had to have courage enough to drive my leading role. I initially had doubts that I was capable because I was used to being the underdog but with Umjolo, most scenes were reliant on me to push them,” said the thespian. 

“As an actor, you’d go to audition after audition. Out of 20, you’d probably land only four roles. So, this helps to thicken your skin and fuels your hunger to want roles even more.”

With her now growing presence on TV, Shezi described her sentiments around fame as “nonexistent” as she tends to be “overwhelmed” by the attention she receives from fans. 

“When the show aired, I received a lot of texts and calls. I remember thinking to myself: ‘Haibo, so many people watch Netflix?'”, she quipped.

“This is something I don’t usually get. I’m an introverted person who keeps a tight-knit circle. I live by myself, so my social anxiety peaked when all the attention happened. I only made a resurgence back just recently and I’m also back at reading comments and people’s thoughts regarding my acting – it no longer scares me as much.”

In the witty and quirky film, Shezi shares intimate dialogue with TV heartthrob Tyson Mathonsi who acts as Lethu’s mischievous boyfriend called Lucky. She describes working with the former SMag cover star as “crazy meeting crazy”. 

 “Tyson and I got along like a house on fire. We met at our first table read and I shared with him that I may come across as an overthinking person but he understood and took me in which made acting with him easier… I mean, you can see the chemistry on screen. We mutually flowed,” she said. 

When asked what her plans are for 2025, Shezi said she aims to be a part of a young performance project for Grade 7 pupils to matriculant from schools back in her hometown.