We chat to Kagiso who plays the adorable Mangi on Scandal!
27-year-old Kagiso Modupe has been with Scandal! since it first aired in 2005. We’ve seen his character Mangi grow from being a high school boy to being the CEO of NFH. Kagiso is one of the two actors still part of the show since it started eight years ago, Sandy Mokwena (Eddie) being the other. He’s been involved in some exciting storylines, like grappling with alcohol and sex addiction, and scoring the show’s highest ratings twice.
While he is a seasoned actor now, Kagiso had no formal training - he was broke and needed a job and that’s how he ended up on Scandal!“Performing arts was one of my hobbies which turned out to be my career,” says Kagiso.
When he’s not on Scandal! he’s working on his businesses. He owns a construction and events company and plans to start a fast food franchise.
We chat to him about Mangi’s storyline.
What storyline have you enjoyed the most?
I enjoyed the alcohol and sex addiction storyline. I felt I did justice to all the addicts out there and it was educational to the youth.
You’ve been playing the character since 2005, how do you keep each storyline interesting?
For me the storyline is like getting a new girlfriend every time. You try to spice it up.
How has Mangi grown over the years?
He’s moved from being a high school boy to being a waiter at RTS which is now Coles, then he became a journalist, a PA, and now he’s running a business. But emotionally he hasn’t grown much because he still tries to see the good in people even though they hurt him.
Are there any similarities between you and Mangi?
When I’m happy I’m Mangi, when I’m miserable I’m not.
When Mangi finds out his father isn’t who he says he is, how does he deal with it?
It’s crushing, because his fathers have changed so many times. In this case it’s different because it’s still his father. When it started, he was his uncle, and then it turned out he was his father, and now he finds out that Daniel is not his real name. So it’s like being lied to all over again. He feels betrayed.
Does this affect their relationship?
Yes, a lot because of the betrayal. They’ve come far to get to a point where they have bonded as father and son.
He’s been lied to all his life, how does this affect the way he sees the world?
He finds it hard to trust and that’s why he’s not in a relationship because he’s been let down by a lot of people in his life including his mother. Keke left him. Stan left him. Vusi left him. And now Daniel, again.
Will he recover from this?
At the end of the day Mangi always recovers. He always tries to find the good in people and he has a positive outlook on life.
What can we expect from Mangi in the next few weeks?
Now things get hectic, he has to deal with people dying on him. Every time he is involved, people die. Faith died, then Kefiloe and now…
Catch Scandal! Monday to Thursday at 7:30PM to find out what happens next in Mangi’s life.
