Unathi Matu, son of multi-award-winning actress Thembsie Matu, shared his first ever Instagram Live with his excited fans. He did this as a Christmas Day special. The talented actor and newly certified engineer shared images of his beautiful home and his adorable family (including proud mama, Thembsie!). We caught glimpses of their lovely and spacious garden and pool area while he spoke.
But what really caught our attention was the articulate way the young actor expressed himself in the live video.
The self-described ‘actor-turned-engineer-turned-actor’ shared his personal journey into the world of films, how he trained for it, and generously gave advice to aspiring actors.
Entering the film industry
Unathi shared that he had actually entered the industry a long time ago. His first role was in the movie Jerusalem. Since then, he’s been dabbling at different roles. He even took over his mom’s professional and personal social media accounts to help her connect with her fans. Then he decided to go to college.
He would juggle classes with going for auditions. “I’ve been trying to get into the industry for a very long time. Whilst I was in school, I had an agent and he would send me to auditions.”
Now, he is finding success on the Fergusons produced hit series - The Queen. He shared his experience of his first day on the show. He says,
“The first day it was very intimidating! First time, no one tells you where to go. With me, most people assumed I knew where to go since my mother was on the set but I didn’t.”
We’re happy to see that he has now found his comfort zone, as we can see by his effortless performance in the show.
Gives advice on how to be an actor
Unathi shares his journey on how he got into acting.
“My mother taught me how to act, she has a school. And I’ve been getting lessons from her for years.”
What are the most important things to become an actor, according to him?
“First thing, the most fundamental and basic things is that you need know how to act. When you’ve reached a point where you’re confident with your skills, get an agent.
“Once you have an agent, he’ll get you castings”
He even shared where the best nearby casting agencies are. But his best tip:
“Right now, most casting agents are asking you to send in your videos. That’s the best thing you can do right now. Follow them on social media. Look for a ‘casting coordinator’ title on their IG bios. That’s the route you should take right now.”
Glad to see that the hardworking actor is finally reaping the fruits of his labor. We can’t wait to see more from him in the future. We’re especially interested to know what kind of roles we can expect to see. Hope you answer our question in your next Live video, Mr. Matu.
Read more here: The Queen: Is The Khoza Family Coming Back?