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JOHANNESBURG. — Five years ago an inexperienced Yonda Thomas landed the lead role in a drama series called “Fallen”. The Eastern Cape-born actor was thrown in the deep end but he proved himself up to the challenge. He played Mvelo Nobela in the SABC1 series.

He had to learn Zulu too, something he says took him out of his comfort zone and “drained” him mentally.

After such an impressive showing, Thomas realised that acting was hard work. Thomas says playing the lead role was gruelling because he sometimes had to be on set as early as 6am and finished shooting late at night.

He says although he got home tired, he still had to go through the script to prepare for the following day’s shoot.

“I was fortunate to start my career with a lead role because it taught me how to adjust myself,” he says.

Since then, Thomas has climbed up the television industry ladder, appearing in shows such as “End Game”, “Isibaya”, “Mzansi Love”, “Rhythm City”, “Rockville”, “Room 9”, and “Saints and Sinners”. He believes he has grown in the past few years and credits his growth to acting coach Dorothy Ann Gould. Thomas believes that his success is a combination of the right casting agency, hard work and a perfect coach.

“Dorothy has assisted me a lot with acting techniques. I have learnt a lot from her. I go to her before any audition and we look at the character together.”

This year Thomas has already appeared in the drama series “Doubt” on Mzansi Magic where he also played the lead role. When the show ended last month, the handsome actor landed a prominent role in SABC3 soapie “Isidingo.”

Thomas was introduced to viewers last week as Kwanele Majola. He believes that this role “is a dream come true because ‘Isidingo’ is one of the soapies with the best talent in Mzansi”.

In “Isidingo” Thomas plays the role of a determined police officer who never lets go until a crime is solved. He does not play by the rule book even though he expects the community to respect the law as well as police officers.

“His job comes first, then the community. He wants to move up the police ranks fast. Kwanele is here to prove to his superiors that he is more than just a detective.”

Thomas came to Johannesburg in 2008 after graduating with a Bachelor of Public Administration degree. At the time he dreamt of being a diplomat. It was while he was looking for a job that a friend told him about “Class Act” auditions. He made the final cut.

Unlike many television personalities, he does not like partying. In his spare time, he does motivational talks in schools. — Sowetan.