ACTRESS reaping the rewards.
This after making a bold decision to invest in herself, and the acting world is taking notice.
Gugu Gumede (34), who is the daughter of the late politician Zanele Magwaza Msibi, recently underwent weight-loss surgery, shedding an impressive 53kg.
She found herself repeatedly cast as older women over the years, including the iconic role of Mamlambo on the popular SABC1 drama Uzalo - a limitation she attributes largely to her appearance.
"I took a decision to work on myself as a human and became healthier," she told Daily Sun.
"It also has a crazy and lasting impact on my acting career. Now, I'm not typecast for just one thing because of my weight and people see something different in me and I love that."
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Gugu's stellar performance in Netflix's The Polygamist, where she played Joyce, left viewers and industry insiders' tongues wagging and now she's set to cement her place with a role in the upcoming e.tv drama, eGagasini: Waves of Change.
In the new series, Gugu plays Phumelela Dube, alongside veteran actor, Meshack Mavuso, who portrays her on-screen husband, Senzo Dube.
"We strive to give a stellar performance wherever I'm cast. Acting and doing what I love is such a gift and there're many artists who wish to get opportunities like this to make their dreams come true. So, every opportunity I get I do what I love to do. I hope people will see this as a stellar performance as well," she said.
The actress added that she now enjoys playing characters that involve men, a far cry from the typecast roles she once inhabited.
