Mkamzee Mwatela on landing her first animation role with Twende
By Hilary KimuyuFrom being a head writer and showrunner for the first Showmax Original telenovela in Kenya, Second Family, to landing her first-ever role in animation with Twende, Showmax’s first 2D animation, 2023 has been a big year for Mkamzee Mwatela.
In Twende, now streaming on Showmax, Mwatela voices Madam Mongoose, the CEO of the evil tech empire Goober, working to put matatus and boda bodas out of business. Ambitious, charming and diabolical, Mwatela describes Madam Mongoose as “so unnecessarily dramatic. She reminds me of a theatre diva; everything I wish I could be in real life.”
We caught up with Mwatela, who shared more about her role in Twende and getting to experience African animation with her son for the first time.
This is your first animation project. First of all, how did this opportunity come about? And how does it feel to be part of it all? – I had done a bit of voice work with Kwame Nyong’o, Twende’s casting director and executive producer, but in commercials. When this came about, he asked me to try it out. I’m glad I did.
Being part of the project, it feels good to be unencumbered. I’m normally in front of the camera, and of course, you can’t let loose like you would in a sound booth. It’s been great being free; it takes me back to the theatre.
What did you know about pangolins before Twende? – What I learned in school was that they were strange prehistoric-looking creatures and the name was funny. My sister still laughs when I say the word pangolin.
How is animation different from working in live action? What did you do for the first time in Twende that would never be possible in live action? – In live action, I couldn’t wave my arms about as much as I did or play with my face as much as I did. It’s a lot more physical in the sound booth, and you’re letting loose in every possible way. In live action that would just look a bit mad – although to be fair, Madam Mongoose is a bit mad…
What was your first impression of Madam Mongoose when you first read about the character? – I thought of Shirley Bassey, Cruella DeVille and Ursula – drama, drama, drama!
It must have been a thrill playing such a character? – God I love her. I get to be as obnoxious and terrible as I could possibly be and yet still be endearing. It’s almost like she’s trying so hard to be a villain but failing at it.
How did you prepare to voice a character like Madam Mongoose? – I approach it from a movement perspective. How would such a character move? I have a background in choreography and dance so for me movement is key. Once I find the movement, the voice comes naturally.
As someone who also writes for TV shows, did you have instances where you had to improvise with Madam Mongoose? – Yes, with animation you’re always trying new things. We sometimes recorded several versions of a line; they would be throwing out different words at me and I would just have to improvise.
Are you excited to watch Twende with your son? What do you think he’ll say about your character Madam Mongoose when he meets her? – I watched my first African animation this year, Super Sema, with my son. It was interesting that this experience is absolutely normal for him. It’s a wonderful thing that he takes it for granted that cartoons look and sound like him.
And now, I can introduce him to Twende! I think it will be kind of trippy for him to think that Madam Mongoose is his Mama. He’ll be so amused! He has this thing about bad guys failing at their shenanigans. He breaks into uncontrollable laughter about people being ‘flattened like a pancake’ and stuff like that, so this will definitely hit his funny bone.