The Wife is back for third and final season, with a new Mqhele in Wiseman MncubeοΏΌ
The multi-award-winning, record-breaking, Twitter-topping Showmax Original telenovela The Wife is finally back. The first three episodes of the third and final season are available to binge on Showmax now, with more coming every Thursday.
Todayβs episodes gave the 5am club their first proper taste of Wiseman Mncube as the new Mqhele Zulu, the abusive, ice-cream loving husband of Hlomu (Mbalenhle Mavimbela). Wiseman takes over from Bonko Khoza, who won Best Actor at the SAFTAs this year and was named the βNational Husbandβ by Twitter for the role.
Hlomu and Mqheleβs love story remains complicated this season. Wiseman warns Mqhele is still βdark and abusive,β while Mbalenhle says, βWeβre deep into toxic love nowβ¦ Thereβs definitely going to be crazy stuff thatβs going to shock viewers this season.β
Wiseman is no stranger to dark roles, having starred as Jama in eHostela, a performance that earned him the Best Actor in a TV Drama Golden Horn at the 2020 SAFTAs, and Sibonelo in Uzalo. He also stars in the upcoming epic Shaka iLembe.
Wiseman is enjoying acting opposite The National Wife, Mbalenhle, as Hlomu. βI wonβt lie; itβs been nice,β he says. βItβs been an interesting journey between the two of us because weβve known each other on Instagram and we would just compliment and show appreciation of each otherβs work. Weβve always said that one day we will work together, God willing. So when it happened, it became a full circle moment. That in itself made it easy because we both wanted to work together.β
Similarly, heβs found it easy to tap into Mqheleβs love for the Zulu brothers, having mentored Kwenzo Ngcobo (Qhawe) at school and worked with Swelihle Luthuli (Ntsika) on eHostela, Thulane Shange (Mqoqi) on Uzalo, and Mondli Makhoba (Nkosana) on Shaka Ilembe. βIt has been so great and easy to work with the gents because they really are my brothers. Since these are people Iβve been close with from outside, it was very easy for me to feel comfortable and for them to accept me on set.β
Wiseman says being cast as Mqhele came as a shock to him. βI was shooting Shaka ILembe at the time. I got the call on a Friday and had to start the following week. Iβve never had to replace someone before and Iβve always wondered how it feels to fill someone else’s shoes. This was the one thing that was pressing on my mind.β
He quickly realised he couldnβt try to be Bonko. βI tried not to do the exact same as how he did it because as people we are not the same. So I had to come with my approach but still keep it within the story. Mqhele and Hlomu are a couple thatβs loved, so for me it was just to add on with my own interpretation of this love story. Iβm not here to replace Bonko but to start my own journey as Mqhele and run with it in my own way.β
For Wiseman, the key to his approach was listening to the scripts. βThe script had all the answers I needed. If you listen carefully to whatβs written, youβll never go wrong. If it moves me a certain way then ultimately thatβs how the viewers are going to feel too.β
This season centres on two star-crossed lovers: Tswana doctor Naledi Montsho and Zulu taxi driver Qhawe. Gaisang K Noge (House of Zwide) stars as Naledi opposite DStv Mzansi Viewersβ Choice Favourite Rising Star winner Kwenzo Ngcobo, dubbed βthe Woolworths of amadodaβ by Twitter, as Qhawe. The new season picks up with the Zulu brothersβ crimes now front-page news – and Naledi kidnapped. As Qhawe tells the Zulu brothers in the first teaser, no one is sleeping until sheβs found.
The most viewed series on Showmax ever, The Wife won 2022 DStv Mzansi Magic Viewersβ Choice Awards for Kwenzo (Rising Star) and Abdul Khoza (Best Actor). At the 2022 SAFTAs, The Wife was up for 10 awards, including Best Telenovela, and won Best Actor and Supporting Actor for Bonko and Abdul Khoza respectively. Season 2 lead Khanyi Mbau has just been nominated as African Social Star of 2022 at The Peopleβs Choice Awards.
In addition to Wiseman, new cast who made their debut today included Sello Motloung (Blood Psalms) as Nalediβs father, Kgosi; Bongo Maffinβs Stoan Seate as Sefako, Qhaweβs rival for Naledi; Lungelo Mpangase (eHostela, Lingashoni, Mzali Wam) as Xoli, Sambuloβs love interest; Mo Setumo (The Queen) as Tshidi, Nalediβs older sister; ββSello Ramolahloane (Uzalo) as Molefi; and Terrence Ngwila (Lioness) as Detective Baloyi.