Hellen Motsuki, a gifted actress who acts in the popular South African television drama Skeem Saam, has become the focus of hostility and harassment from fans who cannot separate her from her controversial character, Melita.
Motsuki’s portrayal of the alluring and devious Melita, a woman infamous for preying on married men, has gained her acclaim for her outstanding acting abilities. However, some viewers, particularly elderly ladies, have difficulty distinguishing between Motsuki and her on-screen character, which leads to disturbing real-life interactions.
Motsuki was shopping when a woman in her 60s hit her with a trolley, accusing her of stealing other women’s husbands. “I did it on purpose because you steal the husbands of other women.” “I swear to God, if you do that to my husband, I will deal with you,” the woman warned Motsuki, who told The Sowetan the story.
Another incident occurred at an awards ceremony when a woman sought a photo with Motsuki but was told not to steal her husband while he was taking the photo. “My heart just sank when I noticed she was seeing my TV character,” Hellen explained.
Despite the good response to her performance and fans who have embraced her persona, even requesting her to recite Melita’s famous phrases, Motsuki’s encounters with fans who can’t tell the difference between fact and fiction have made her increasingly hesitant to appear in public.
The actress, who has taken the small screen by storm as Melita, is now dealing with the unintended consequences of her character’s behavior on the show. Motsuki worries more attacks from fans who can’t tell the difference between her and her character, Melita, as her plot progresses.
This worrying tendency emphasizes the importance of audiences understanding that actors are independent from the roles they play and that a character’s actions do not represent the actor’s ideas or behavior.
