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Chi Mhende (born 20 October 1986; Harare, Zimbabwe) is an award-winning South African actress, singer, and voice-over artist. The starring role of Wandile, she played in Generations: The Legacy, rose her to prominence.
Apart from her role in the SABC1 soap opera, she has appeared in many other television serials. Other fans fell in love with her for her looks, yea! she is so beautiful that many want to see her face on the screen.
Profile
Background
She was born Charlene Chiedza Kudzai Mhende on 20 October 1986 in Harare, Zimbabwe. She is not a new face on the screen, the renowned actress boasts over 12 years of acting experience.
The Zimbabwean-born actress can speak two languages fluently including English and Shona. She can also speak some French. The actress told SABC 3’s Afternoon Express that she is a victim of rape.
Education
In 2006, she enrolled for a BA in Live Performance at AFDA, Cape Town. After spending 3 years, she graduated in 2009.
Upon graduating, she has held many performances in theatre productions, TV serials, and films.
Career
Theatre Productions
She has appeared in a starring role in many theatre productions. She appeared as Mmabatho, the only female character in The Quiet Violence.
Chi also played the role of the abused and compassionate Zoe in Waiting for the Barbarians. Calf in Slowly was another role she played.
Other theatre production credits include;
- Volpone
- Aladdin
- Private Lives
- Armageddon
- Romeo & Juliet
- Othello
She appeared in the Shakespearean plays The Comedy of Errors, Richard III, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
TV and Film
Her first commercial was for Bonita margarine in Zimbabwe when she was four years old.
She landed a guest-starring role in several TV serials like Stokvel, an SABC1 sitcom. The actress played the role of Bar Girl in the Sky 1 black comedy Mad Dogs.
She was also cast in Showtime thriller Homeland. Chi played the role of Colonel Blake in Dominion, Syfy’s apocalyptic supernatural action series. More on her acting credit is Jamillah and Aladdin.
Kudzai is the voice behind narrating;
- Bridging Waters
- Lifelines
- Siyaya: Come Wild with Us.
Chi played the starring role in Love the One You Love, a Jenna Cato Bass comedy-drama film, in 2014.
She played the role of Terri which won her an award at the Durban Film Festival in the same year.
Chi has also appeared in many short films like Lazy Susan, Scribblings, and The Tunnel.
She appeared as a receptionist in Detour, an indie film directed by Christopher Smith.
In December 2015, she appeared first in the soap opera Generations: The Legacy. She was cast in the SABC1 soapie as Wandile “Wandi” Radebe, this is credited as her debut starring role on TV.
She was cast in the Netflix crime drama series Queen Sono as Miri Dube, the show follows the story of an orphan Queen Sono (played by Pearl Thusi).
Awards
| Year | Award | Sponsor | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Best Actress award | AFDA awards | Won |
| 2014 | Best Actress award | Durban Film Festival | Won |
| 2015 | Promising Young Artist award | Africa Movie Academy Awards | Nominated |
Filmography
| Dominion | Colonel Blake |
| Mad Dogs | Bar Girl |
| Homeland | Aide |
| Zaziwa | Herself |
| Stokvel | Bodyguard |
| Queen Sono | Miri |
| Generations | Wandile “Wandi” Radebe |
