Losing a parent at a very young age is the most unbearable experience that any child
can go through. Actress Thuso Mbedu (25) says losing her mother to a brain tumour
at the age of four was one of the hardest moments in her life.
The star, who portrays the character of sassy Winnie on Mzansi Magic’s first teen drama, Isithunzi, says her maternal grandmother’s love and support helped her overcome her pain.
RAISED BY HER GRANDMOTHER
“There was not a day that my sister and I went to
bed hungry. My grandmother made sure we had
clothes and food. She was a mother to us and more.
She taught me to be strong and not to feel sorry for
myself,” she says.
Thuso’s parents separated before she was
born. The young actress says she did not have a
relationship with her biological father.
“My father did not know about me until after my
mother’s passing. My mother found out that she
was expecting me after they separated,” Thuso
explains.
It was only when the actress was 11 years old that
she met her father, who also passed on in 2012.
The KwaZulu-Natal-born actress tells Move! that her
circumstances forced her to grow up fast.
Actress Thuso Mbedu is making her mark in the
tough entertainment industry
“Losing my parents taught me to be independent
and to be a strong young woman,” she says.
However, the former Scandal! actress says she
is grateful for the role that her grandmother played
because her lessons are what moulded her to be
the woman she is today.
Losing her parents was not the only tragedy that
Thuso faced. In 2013, she lost her grandmother.
“When I got the news of my grandmother’s
passing, I was devastated. But she left us knowing
God and that was the best thing that she could have
done,” she says.
HER ROAD TO FAME
Although Thuso has been through the worst in
her life, she did not let it destroy the dream of
becoming an actress.
After passing matric, she enrolled to study
drama and performing arts at the University of the
Witwatersrand. Thuso was fortunate enough to go
into television immediately after she graduated
in 2014.
Her first big TV gig was on e.tv’s Scandal! where
she played the character of 21-year-old Kitso
Medupe.
However, the actress shares with Move! that even
though she did not struggle to get into TV, she does
not always get the roles she wants to play.
“I sometimes don’t get roles because I often get
told that I look young for my age. This can be very
frustrating because I know that I am old enough to
play the character,” she says.
Her second big role was on Mzansi Magic’s Saints
and Sinners where she played the role of Boni
Khumalo.
“Being part of Saints and Sinners was a blessing.
Working with great actors like Nthati Moshesh and
Tshepo Maseko was an honour for me. I have learnt
so much from them and there is nothing about
their presence that is intimating. They are very
welcoming,” she sa
