Biography
Fezile Mpela (born November 16, 1973) is a South African actor and television presenter. He is best known for playing Vusi in season one of the SABC1 drama series Mzansi. The actor also played Sello in the SABC2 soap opera 7de Laan.
Fezile Mpela
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| Quick Facts | |
| Full Name: | Fezile Mpela |
| Other names: | Fuzzy |
| Born: | November 16, 1973 (age 49 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Krugersdorp, South Africa |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Education: | Drama |
| Alma mater: | Tshwane University of Technology |
| Spouse: | Marilyn Natasha (2014-2018) |
| Occupation: | Actor, singer, voice artist, presenter, MC |
| Years active: | 1992–date |
| Height: | 5 feet 7 inches (1.70m) |
Early Life
Fezile Mpela was born on November 16, 1973, in the mining city of Krugersdorp in the West Rand, Gauteng Province.
Education
Fezile Mpela holds a degree in drama from the Tshwane University of Technology (formerly Pretoria Technikon).
Career
In 1994, he became a continuity presenter at the pay television channel M-Net. He has acted in many television series like Mzansi, Generations, 7de Laan, Song Vir Katryn, Molofish II, and Isidingo.
Mpela had major roles in other shows like Vive La Difference, Going Up, Homelands, Gaabo Motho, Fela’s TV, Soul City, and Kelebone.
Apart from acting, he is a host and appeared in the SABC2 broadcast cooking show Ready Steady Cook. He was behind the show for the South African version of the international cooking show from 2003-2004.
His film credits are worth mentioning. The actor appeared in Drum, The Lion King, and Born Free 2. In 2006, he landed roles in the made-for-TV movies Coup! and Folge deinem Herzen.
The actor is an established theatre actor also and has performed in many shows as:
- Songs and Tales from Africa
- Kapt’uit op Afrikaans
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
- Too Many Cooks
- Museum of Modern Mistakes
- The Blacks
- Roses and Angels
- Private Venture.
In 1994, he hosted the prestigious event, The All Africa Film Awards. Other notable events include the Loerie Awards, The SAMA Awards (2005), and Mr. and Mrs. Pretoria.
Fezile Mpela has hosted many events for M-Net. He played Vusi, a lead role, in season one of Mzansi, in 2005. In 2007, he landed the role of Paulus Tshukudu in the SABC2 dramedy Andries Plak.
The actor played a starring role in 2008 in an episode of the SABC1 drama series Mtunzini.com. He played a BEE Tycoon, restauranteur, and womanizer Prosper Baloyi suspected of killing a nanny.
In the SABC1 mini-series adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, Izingane zoBaba, Fezile played Lucky in 2008. He hosted the SABC2 game show Where Were You? in the same year.
In May 2009, he narrated season one of the South African version of the genealogy documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? on SABC2.
Fezile played the corrupt mayor Malusi in the SABC1 drama series Intsika in 2011. He is also a voice-over artist and voiced for MasterChef South Africa, an M-Net reality competition series MasterChef South Africa, in 2013.
Still, in 2013, he played the starring role of David’s childhood friend, Thato “TT” Mgale, in the SABC3 drama series High Rollers.
Personal Life
Fezile Mpela married Marilyn Natasha in 2014. After four years of marriage, they divorced in 2018.
His ex-wife committed suicide by hanging herself in her parental home in Rabie Ridge, Tembisa, in Gauteng, early on a Friday morning in October 2019. The actor stands as tall as 5 feet 7 inches (1.70m).
Filmography
- 4Play: Sex Tips for Girls as Vincent
- 7de Laan as Sello
- Andries Plak as Paulus Tshukudu
- Bloedbroers as Abraham Mphubani
- Celebrity MasterChef South Africa as Voice Over Artist
- City Ses’la as Justice Storm
- Die Vierde Kabinet as Hooky Evans
- Donkerland as Zwide
- Erfsondes as Themba
- Fluiters as Sam Gumede
- Gauteng Maboneng as Khanyo
- Gaz’lam as Rehab Counsellor
- Getroud met Rugby: Die Sepie as Ike
- Hard Copy as Tito Matlala
- High Rollers as TT Mogale
- Hola Mpinji! as 1st Hand Car Dealer/Gunman
- iNkaba as Zama
- Intsika as Malusi
- Izingane zoBaba as Eddie Luthuli
- Let Heaven Wait as Mr Dube
- MasterChef South Africa as Voice Over Artist
- Mtunzini.com as Prosper
- Mzansi as Vusi
- SAFTAs as Presenter
- Shadow as Dr Madi
- Song vir Katryn as Hoffie
- Transito as Majoor Mkhize
- Where Were You? as Host
- Who Do You Think You Are? (SA) as Narrator