More than a decade into her career, Motsoaledi Setumo has become known for portraying emotionally layered characters on screen.
She first burst onto screens in 2016 as Tselane in Mzansi Magic‘s Greed & Desire, before cementing her prowess with the role of Mmabatho in The Queen. She later expanded her impressive body of work with Tshedi in The Wife Season 3 and Netflix‘s A Soweto Love Story, further solidifying her star power.
This month, Setumo steps into another complex role as Lerato Msibi in Critical But Stable, Mzansi Magic‘s highly anticipated new Sunday-night drama adapted from Angela Makholwa‘s bestselling novel of the same name.
Ahead of the premiere on 26 July at 8pm on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161), we sat down with the actress, who unpacks the emotional weight of playing Lerato, bringing the character to life and why the role resonated so deeply with her.
What attracted you to the role of Lerato in Critical But Stable?
Lerato represents the majority of women in South Africa. She’s Christian, she’s deeply religious, and she’s spent her whole life doing everything for everybody else except herself. That’s what really attracted me to her. For the longest time, I was also a bit like that. Thankfully, I’ve grown from it now, but playing Lerato became a healing process because she highlighted parts of myself I hadn’t fully dealt with.
What also excited me was the kind of drama she causes. It’s not the type of drama you’d expect from someone like her, and I don’t want to give away any spoilers. It’s always the sweet-looking, quiet ones. Like our grandmothers used to say, “Still waters run deep.” That’s Lerato. I loved that plot twist because it reminds us that even the kindest people have flaws and hidden darkness.
One of the themes in Lerato’s story is emotional and physical intimacy within marriage. Why do you think it’s important for television to explore conversations like these?
People have this misconception that once you get married, the relationship becomes perfect. But it’s still a relationship between two people who are constantly evolving. Lerato did everything by the book. She waited until marriage before becoming sexually active because that’s what she was taught in church. Then she gets married and is denied the very thing she was told to wait for. Imagine doing everything “right”, only for the goalposts to move.
I don’t think we’ve seen this story told often enough. I’m not married myself, but I can imagine how heartbreaking that would be. It’s such a beautiful story, and I’d really like people to experience it for themselves.
Your on-screen marriage to Mzi is filled with unspoken frustrations. How did you and Lawrence Maleka work together to make that relationship feel authentic?
Lawrence and I are complete goofballs. We don’t take everything too seriously, so being on set with him was honestly a lot of fun. Because the storyline was so heavy, we couldn’t carry that same energy off camera. He’s genuinely such a lovely person to work with, very respectful, very professional and it was really great having him as my on-screen husband.
Overall, what was the experience like filming Critical But Stable?
It was so much fun. We were working with such a beautiful cast, people who knew exactly why they were there and what they needed to do. That always makes life easier because everyone is committed to telling the story. I genuinely had a wonderful time on set.
Angela Makholwa’s novel already has a loyal fan base. Did you read the book before filming, and how did that influence your portrayal of Lerato?
I actually haven’t read ‘Critical But Stable’, but I have read two of Angela’s other books. I started reading her work back in 2017 with ‘Black Widow Society’, and then I read ‘Red Ink’. I’ve always admired her writing.
Interesting enough, I think not reading the book before filming actually helped me. I’m always in my head, and if the book differed from what was written in the script, I think it would’ve thrown me off. I wanted to focus on interpreting the script in front of me rather than trying to recreate what I’d imagined from the novel. I’m definitely going to read it after I’ve watched the series because I’m curious to see how closely the adaptation follows the book.
You’ve built a career playing memorable women across productions like The Queen, The Wife and Greed & Desire. What makes her stand out from the rest?
What I really love about my characters is that there’s always a common theme. The sweet looking girl who doesn’t bite and then she bites. I love multi-layered characters. You can see it’s an orange but it tastes like an apple. Those kinds of confusing and unpredictable characters, I love tapping into that space so much.
One day though, I would like to play a villain, someone completely the opposite of what I look like. I’d like to portray someone so vile because I think that will challenge me as a performer. I’m also naturally sweet so that’s why you guys gravitate to my characters so much. It’s so easy to see all of the women that I play as nice as they are. I’d like to tap into a darker character and stretch myself as an actress.
What scene or part of filming challenged you the most emotionally?
There were a few scenes where I had to dig much deeper than I usually do because they were completely outside my comfort zone. They’re not the kind of scenes I’d say I personally enjoy filming, but if they serve the story, then I’ll do whatever my character needs.
The good thing is that those scenes were handled with so much care. We had conversations beforehand about how we’d approach them, and I felt supported throughout the process. I can’t wait to see how they come across on screen because I trust they’ll be portrayed in a way that does justice to the story.
Quick Fire questions
If you weren’t an actress, what career would you have pursued?
Either sports, I absolutely love hockey or I would’ve become a doctor.
What’s the one thing you can never leave home without when you’re heading to set?
My coffee.
What’s currently on your watchlist?
Bogaditsông, Gagasini, The Four of Us, The Polygamist and KwaBaba.
Why should people watch Critical But Stable?
(Laughs) Because it’s Critical But Stable.
Critical But Stable is a 13-episode drama series that follows the life of a struggling businessman, Duke, who ropes his friends into an insurance scam to save both his ailing wife and his failing business.
Duke and his childhood friends are members of a jazz-themed stokvel called Khula. It’s a social club and a way to promote brotherhood and support one another in protecting their marriages and families. The founders of the club are Duke; Soli, who can never earn enough to please his demanding wife; Mzi, who needs money to pay his son’s university fees and hides the secret that he can’t sexually satisfy his wife; and Thabo, who’s broke, unemployed, and has been ousted from his own home by his estranged wife.
The ensemble cast is led by Fortune Thobejane (Duke), who is joined by Lawrence Maleka (Mzi), Batsile Ramasodi (Solomzi), Thabo Malema (Thabo), Mmarona Motshegoa (Noma), Motsoaledi Setumo (Lerato), Seipati Mahamu (Moshidi), Mapaseka Koetle (Lovey) and Eve Rasimeni (Mantwa).
Critical But Stable is also co-executive produced by Angela Makholwa and produced by Barkers Media.
