Share

Getting to know Khaya Dladla

accreditation
Khaya Dladla
Khaya Dladla

SABC 1 viewers would agree that one of the reasons they tune-in to watch Uzalo every week night is to see GC in action. Move! talks to multi-talented Khaya Dladla, the actor behind the over the top flamboyant and chatty character GC, about his life on and off screen. He opens up about his sexuality and how he never had to ‘come out of the closet’ with his parents.

GROWING UP

Khaya explains that acting is just something that he came across early in his life and came to love. His parents introduced acting to him as an extra-mural activity to keep him busy while they were working. “I was six years old when I started attending acting and ballet classes,” says Khaya.   

NEXT PROJECT 

“When I was eight years old I performed a dance piece and monologue on graduation day. A producer for a theatre production was invited to come and watch the closing show. My parents were never at these performances because they just saw it as something to keep me busy. After the show, the producer waited for my parents to pick me up so he could ask their permission to use me for his next project. They didn’t understand why he wanted their son for his project. They kept asking me what was I doing, and if I was the only one chosen for this, and yes I was.”

BECOMING GC

The actor explains that people think it was easy for him to play a gay character because he’s gay too. But he says that he had to do research before he could fully understand his Uzalo character. “Of course this may seem like an easy thing to do because I’m gay, but it’s actually hard. Before taking the role, I knew I had to do some research to learn more about the gay community, particularly the ones that work in salons. I sat in salons and learned about gay people,” adds the actor.   

HIS SEXUALITY

Khaya explains that he has never had to sit his parents down and disclose his sexuality to them as it was all clear to them from the beginning that he is gay. “I was never in the closet to begin with. My parents knew all along due to all the things I did as child. While other children were playing soccer, I was a ballerina. So those were the signs for my parents,” says Khaya.

ENTIRE LIFE CHANGED

Khaya explains that he misses his old life before he became famous. He says he had to relocate to where people didn’t really know who he is. “After the GC thing blew up, my entire life changed and I no longer had privacy. So I had to relocate to a place where people don’t really watch Uzalo. Now I can take out my trash like a normal person,” he says. “On the dating scene, I don’t really have time to go on dates or nurture a relationship. I just need someone who will understand that I’m building a brand and the little time I have I’ll spend with him.”

Get the best in Soccer, News and Lifestyle content with SNL24 PLUS
For 14 free days, you can have access to the best from Soccer Laduma, KickOff, Daily Sun, TrueLove and Drum. Thereafter you will be billed R29 per month. You can cancel anytime and if you cancel within 14 days you won't be billed.
Subscribe to SNL24 PLUS
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()