Jesse Suntele brings heart, humour, and unexpected depth to his role as Sizwe in Netflix’s hit family comedy Meet The Khumalos. In this exclusive Q&A, he opens up about the joys of playing in a new genre, learning to trust the writing, and celebrating Zulu culture on screen.
The talented thespian delivers a refreshingly grounded performance in the middle of family drama, cultural traditions, and comedic chaos. Known for his versatility and charm, Jesse embraced the challenge of starring in his first family comedy — and came away with more than just laughs. From working alongside powerhouses like Khanyi Mbau to discovering the joy of subtle humour, Jesse reflects on what the experience taught him, both as an actor and a storyteller.
Glamour: Sizwe is caught between his family and his love life. How did you approach playing that?
Jesse: Honestly I tried not to overthink or overcook it. I really tried to focus on Sizwe's motivations when it came to his love life and his family. As people we go through these kinds of decisions and contradictions all the time, "I want a burger and fries but I want to diet and lose weight" , sometimes one side wins , sometimes it's the other, and this is exactly how I approached the role. Sometimes he serves his love life, but hides it to make mom happy.
Glamour: What was your favorite part about working on Meet The Khumalos?
Jesse: My favourite part about this role was the new adventure of playing in my first family comedy, it was a new muscle for me to exercise and I learnt so much on the go. I grew as an actor in the short time I got to spend on the Meet The Khumalos set.
Glamour: You had to balance comedy and emotion — how did you find that rhythm?
Jesse: The irony is that I really only needed to focus on one, emotions. If I focus on reacting in real time to each scene and each scenario, the comedy in the writing happens naturally. I think sometimes we make the mistake of "trying" to be funny, with a funny face or a weird walk. I wanted to avoid that at all costs because the characters were written as real, everyday people, who just happen to land themselves in comedic, awkward situations.
Glamour: What was the dynamic like between you and Khosi Ngema on screen?
Jesse: Khosi and Sphe ( her character ) have so much in common, they're both great, kind hearted, open minded human beings. So it was so easy to play alongside each other. We just brought our off screen friendship into the film and that helped make the characters come to life.
Glamour: Tell us about working with Khanyi Mbau and Bonga Dlamini as your on-screen parents?
Jesse: It was so interesting experiencing both of them as parents. I watched Khanyi transform from her usual bubbly, funny self into this no nonsense mom and it was wild to experience but also great to see her talent come alive in real time like that. It was the same with Bonga, he's such a friendly, chatty personality and then to watch him become this zen-like stoic father figure in a moment was really cool, they both made it so easy for me to become a son when the director said "action".
Glamour: What did you learn about yourself through this role?
Jesse: Simple: I CAN DO COMEDY! And I love it! Haha!
Glamour: Was there a particular scene you loved shooting — or found especially challenging?
Jesse: I really enjoyed the Umemulo scene, it was such a visually beautiful scene to shoot, the costumes, the singing and dancing, it felt like the real deal. Zulu culture was represented at its finest.
Glamour: How did the production team help bring this suburban world to life?
Jesse: Research, research, research. Jayan Moodley ( director and creator) and her team were so good at making the world come to life by making everything as authentic as possible. From the homes, cars and clothes for each family, all the way down to the language in the writing. They also scouted so many incredible locations in and around Durban.
Glamour: Netflix is known for bold, fresh storytelling. What excites you most about being part of this new wave?
Jesse: Remember when "open up the industry" was trending? This is it, we're living that right now. Through Netflix's search for new stories and new talents in performance and writing, the industry really feels like it's growing and allowing bold and amazing ideas to come to life. That also means our ideas and talents can reach all the corners of the globe! Geography is not a limiting factor anymore!
Glamour: If you could describe the show in three words, what would they be?
Jesse: Family, Fun, Heart.
Glamour: Sizwe is caught between his family and his love life. How did you approach playing that?
Jesse: Honestly I tried not to overthink or overcook it. I really tried to focus on Sizwe's motivations when it came to his love life and his family. As people we go through these kinds of decisions and contradictions all the time, "I want a burger and fries but I want to diet and lose weight" , sometimes one side wins , sometimes it's the other, and this is exactly how I approached the role. Sometimes he serves his love life, but hides it to make mom happy.
Glamour: What was your favorite part about working on Meet The Khumalos?
Jesse: My favourite part about this role was the new adventure of playing in my first family comedy, it was a new muscle for me to exercise and I learnt so much on the go. I grew as an actor in the short time I got to spend on the Meet The Khumalos set.
Glamour: You had to balance comedy and emotion — how did you find that rhythm?
Jesse: The irony is that I really only needed to focus on one, emotions. If I focus on reacting in real time to each scene and each scenario, the comedy in the writing happens naturally. I think sometimes we make the mistake of "trying" to be funny, with a funny face or a weird walk. I wanted to avoid that at all costs because the characters were written as real, everyday people, who just happen to land themselves in comedic, awkward situations.
Glamour: What was the dynamic like between you and Khosi Ngema on screen?
Jesse: Khosi and Sphe ( her character ) have so much in common, they're both great, kind hearted, open minded human beings. So it was so easy to play alongside each other. We just brought our off screen friendship into the film and that helped make the characters come to life.
Glamour: Tell us about working with Khanyi Mbau and Bonga Dlamini as your on-screen parents?
Jesse: It was so interesting experiencing both of them as parents. I watched Khanyi transform from her usual bubbly, funny self into this no nonsense mom and it was wild to experience but also great to see her talent come alive in real time like that. It was the same with Bonga, he's such a friendly, chatty personality and then to watch him become this zen-like stoic father figure in a moment was really cool, they both made it so easy for me to become a son when the director said "action".
Glamour: What did you learn about yourself through this role?
Jesse: Simple: I CAN DO COMEDY! And I love it! Haha!
Glamour: Was there a particular scene you loved shooting — or found especially challenging?
Jesse: I really enjoyed the Umemulo scene, it was such a visually beautiful scene to shoot, the costumes, the singing and dancing, it felt like the real deal. Zulu culture was represented at its finest.
Glamour: How did the production team help bring this suburban world to life?
Jesse: Research, research, research. Jayan Moodley ( director and creator) and her team were so good at making the world come to life by making everything as authentic as possible. From the homes, cars and clothes for each family, all the way down to the language in the writing. They also scouted so many incredible locations in and around Durban.
Glamour: Netflix is known for bold, fresh storytelling. What excites you most about being part of this new wave?
Jesse: Remember when "open up the industry" was trending? This is it, we're living that right now. Through Netflix's search for new stories and new talents in performance and writing, the industry really feels like it's growing and allowing bold and amazing ideas to come to life. That also means our ideas and talents can reach all the corners of the globe! Geography is not a limiting factor anymore!
Glamour: If you could describe the show in three words, what would they be?
Jesse: Family, Fun, Heart.
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