Social media has been abuzz with actress Lungile Duma (27), who has stolen Showmax’s viewers’ hearts with her captivating performances.
The actress landed her big break in the industry after scoring the role of Zithulele, who is Mpho’s wife in Showmax’s original Adulting.
Set in Johannesburg, Adulting explores the parallel universes of four varsity friends. Their strong bond has held them together even as their journeys in life have taken them in very different directions. The show concluded its first season on Monday, and avid viewers of the show have given it a thumbs up and praised the cast for their exceptional job.
The model-turned-actress has described her breakthrough into the acting industry as a testament that your dreams are valid, no matter where you come from.
It’s always inspiring to see new faces killing it in the industry as that is a sign of Tshedza Pictures playing their role in opening up the industry. Lungile, says she is grateful for the opportunity and cannot wait to spread her wings in the industry.
Zalebs had the opportunity to dive deeper into the actress’s personal and professional life. From her upbringing to her approach to landing her role in Adulting and her aspirations in the industry, she spills all the TEA!
Who is Lungile Dumi?
Lungile is a farm girl. I come from a rural village called Bulwer in KwaZulu-Natal. I grew up there and was raised by my grandmother.
Where did you study and what were you interested in growing up?
I studied at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) where I enrolled in Child and Youth Development Psychology. From there I was interested in modeling. All my life since primary school, I have been in taking part in beauty pageants. But, I needed to have a proper career, so I started being interested in modeling and I was curious about how I can land my face on billboards. I then joined an agency and that’s when I ventured into acting.
How was your upbringing?
It was okay, I was raised by my grandmother. She was a stable grandmother, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a challenge to be raised by a grandmother alone. As much as my mother was present in my childhood, she was married and my dad was also married. So, I became my grandmother’s child. My maternal family was very welcoming and they still love to date. I would be lying if I said my upbringing was not pleasant, but there was a gap in not being raised by a mother or a father.
Do you have siblings?
Yes, from my dad’s side, we are 9, and from my mother’s side, it is just me and my little brother.
What did your family want you to be when you were growing up?
My grandmother wanted me to be a doctor, but I couldn’t continue because I knew it was not what I wanted. I told myself that my life was in the spotlight, hence I decided to pursue modeling and venture into acting.
When did your passion for acting begin?
I have always loved acting funny enough. Growing up in a village sometimes it’s hard to imagine that you can get such an opportunity. I did not think I could be given an opportunity. I started modeling when I gained more confidence. When there are castings and auditions I would go and test myself. I took acting classes with my agency because I wanted to do better at it.
Despite being a small role, I played Busi, a corporate secretary, in The River, which was a huge honor for me. I did not know that would lead to Adulting.
How did you land your role in Adulting?
I saw a casting and I thought that would be interesting. Tshedza Pictures specified they were looking for new faces. Knowing Tshedza Production, I knew they were honest. I recorded a self-tape and sent it. The following week I got a call that they wanted me to return for a first audition. That’s when I moved from Durban to Johannesburg full-time. They were very strict. We had a full month of the auditioning process. It wasn’t a matter of we loved you, no. Every week, we were tested for our auditions.
I competed against Angela Sithole and me being a new kid on the blog. I was like how can I compete with someone who has done well in the industry? I was lucky to receive the call informing me that I had been hired.
How did you feel when you got the role?
I couldn’t believe it. I knew how meaningful this was for me. It was so much to take in because I couldn’t believe that a young lady from a rural area could come to Johannesburg and get a role on Showmax. People dream about such things.
How are you different from Zithulele?
Zithulele is a sweet wife. She loves her husband and kids. In addition, she is not self-aware. She’s just that wife who is naive about things. I believe I’m very sweet, and I’m very calm so we are similar. I think that comes along, and I think that is why during the auditions they kept calling me because they could sense that calmness of Zithulele and that grounding. I would relax like Zithulele and also like fashion and looking stylish, but Zithulele is relaxed.
How was working in Adulting?
It was brilliant and enjoyable. Tshedza and Showmax are such an amazing production, they take care of their actors so much. It didn’t even feel like you were heading to work.
What has been your experience inside and outside of the show so far?
Lungile is a very private girl. I don’t believe I’m a social girl, but work engages you with people. For me, it’s about my job and putting bread on the table, not about fame. But the reception was amazing.
What challenges did you experience while playing Zithulele?
Playing Zithulele has been a learning curve for me as a newcomer in the industry. I have no experience of marriage and children I had to find Zithululele from women around me, women who raised me. I saw myself growing as an actress every day, especially being a 27-year-old coming from the deep rural of Bulwer in KZN. I pushed myself every day on set learning to separate myself from the character. I fell in love with Zithulele!
I gained a lot of knowledge as an actress, understanding my craft and the industry better. I best believe I delivered what I expected and I know some may agree and some won’t. I’m grateful for the opportunity. This industry is not for the faint-hearted. I have learned that my focus is to grow, to do better, and to improve myself as an actress.
What is your highlight about the show?
With Adulting, we witnessed the journey of a bromance and the life of the person, exposing life experiences as they are without filters. And I would like to thank Tshedza Pictures for being honest and truthful with their auditions, they said they were looking for new faces and indeed they gave new faces a chance most productions fail on that.
How has your family been since you landed this role?
My family has been very supportive. Like I said I was brought up by my grandmother and once you are raised by her you are everyone’s child at home. They have been very supportive and they understand that you are not a millionaire. Even my mom would still give me an allowance because she knows that it’s a month-to-month job.
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What is the biggest thing you have learned so far in the industry?
When I got in, I realized that I had to treat this as work and not as a celebrity. Yes, my work puts me out there but I have to respect it and treat it as a job, but not fame. A lot of people lose it because they fail to respect their craft.
What can we expect from you moving forward?
I’m doing a lot of auditions lately. I want to grow and explore different characters.
Source-Zalebs
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