Hair has always been the linchpin of storytelling in Nomzamo Mbathas craft. From her Hollywood red carpet appearances to beauty campaigns and acting in productions like Shaka iLembe, Coming 2 America and Isibaya. Heck, on Monday, she even caught smoke from singer Simphiwe Dana in a polarising rant on trendy black hairstyles. Mbatha chats to SMag about how she has always owned her crown.
This interview took place before Danas social media rant.
How has the relationship with your hair evolved?
Historically, hair has always played a pivotal role in how we identify ourselves and its attachment to beauty. If your hair was long past your shoulders, then you were considered like, Wow, umuhle! Its that thing that has always been attached to beauty and standards. When we were children, Im pretty sure that for 90 of us, our hair did not belong to us. It belonged to our parents or whichever female figure raised us. In my teens, I was like, OK, my hair belongs to me, but in my 20s, thats when I decided that this is my head, this is who I am. In 2019, when I had my first big chop, it was the first time I saw my face in a long time.
As an actor, how does your hair serve as a vehicle for storytelling?