Veteran actor misses hostel!

VETERAN actor Jerry Phele said people must know that he was never a teacher.

He said he didn't know where people got the idea from.

This after social media rumours that he was a teacher before starring in Emzini Wezinsizwa.

Jerry from Soweto spoke to Daily Sun about his life as an actor and what he's been up to.

"Acting is in my system, it's me. It's my life, and there's nothing else except it," he said.

The actor, originally from Parys in the Free State, said he misses Emzini Wezinsizwa, Room 8, where he acted as Mofokeng.

"I love the hostels and still have friends I still visit. I like the food sold at the hostels, especially meat, liver and mogodu. I miss the old hostels where I would go shower and consult a sangoma."

He said he used to visit the hostels in KwaMashu, KZN, especially when he visited the late Roland Mqwebu, known as James Mkhize Khabazela.

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Jerry also revealed that he got injured around 1981 when he was shooting a comedy series called Motimpana le Semetlana.

He said he fell off a bicycle in Soweto.

"I fell off the bike and landed on my hip. I didn't realise then that the injury was serious, it haunted me later. After 10 years, I was operated on and had a hip replacement in 2022. I was on a wheelchair and crutches for many months. I'm walking using a stick now, but gradually recovering," he said.

He said he is still active, acting and shooting movies.

"Acting was never my dream. At school, my favourite subjects were maths, biology, physics, and partly agriculture. I also enjoyed history."

Jerry's message to the youth: follow your heart.

"The industry demands passion, commitment and dedication," he said.