Image: Gallo Images/Oupa Bopape
Just months after leaving fans heartbroken with her departure from The Queen, veteran actress Rami Chuene will return to screens in a new role on BET Africa’s new daily drama series Isono.
The show tells the story of a dysfunctional family and a heroic son who searches within himself for the strength to stand up against a powerful and evil matriarch who will stop at nothing to serve her own needs.
Rami plays the role of an eccentric gossipmonger called Jumima, who loves a good conspiracy theory and often gets the wrong end of the stick.
In an interview with TshisaLIVE, Rami said the role was different to any she had played before and was a world way from her in real life.
“I talk a lot, but guess what? She hardly says 10 words. Even when she is gossiping, it is minimal. She gestures. It was quite interesting for me to jump in and be Jumima, who doesn’t talk as much as my [other] characters did or even [as much as] I speak.”She said people will relate to her character – particularly those who have THAT aunt who seems to have “a screw loose”. She hopes the role will help contribute to the conversation around mental health.
“I realised that maybe these people actually have a lot going on in their head but because of the loose screw they can’t connect one and two, so they can’t express themselves fully.“Our society seems to focus on extreme mental issues, where they are not able to look after themselves, but we have people among us – even some professionals – who have a few loose screws of their own but have managed to be fully functional.”
Rami said she is excited to return to screens and is treating it like her “big break” into the industry.
“It feels good. It feels like I haven’t left screens at all. It feels good. Every time I start a new show, it feels like my very first show, like my big break.”