At the height of her acting career, portraying Mmabatho in The Queen, life for Motsoaledi Setumo came to a standstill after losing her mother in 2019.     

Setumo, now making her acting comeback with the new season of The Wife, refers to the death of her mother Glenda as the “hardest blow of her life”.

Setumo then took a two-year hiatus from acting.

“Things started going south for me. I took a break to gather my emotions and find myself again,” said the 31-year-old.

“I lost someone who was my biggest supporter, someone I loved so much and she was the strongest woman I’ve ever known and more than anything, I am glad I got to experience her love.”

Setumo added that taking a step back from the limelight did her good as she was able to re-evaluate her life and revive her passion for acting.

“Acting is something that I love after going through such a depressive moment. Being in character is so beautiful, I literally feel like I am fresh in the scene again with my role as Tshidi on The Wife… it’s so weird to describe this feeling,” she said. 

“I am having such a great time experiencing myself as an actor again.”

Setumo with Wiseman Mncube, Stoan Seate and Scandal! actor Mathews Rantsoma are the newest additions to the show joining series regulars Kwenzo Ngcobo, Gaisang Noge, Abdul Khoza, Khanyi Mbau, and Zikhona Sodlaka.

“I didn’t believe that I got the role until my script reading, that’s when I realised that I truly got the role. Everyone on set is amazing, they take their craft very seriously which is what I love… I am lucky to have been blessed with cast members who take pride in their work,” she said.

“As much as I am nervous about re-introducing myself in the acting industry, I can’t wait for people to see my range as an actor and how multifaceted I am.

My character Tshidi is one I haven’t acted on before, I can safely say that the viewers are going to have a love-and-hate relationship with her.”