Chi Mhende Profile - Biography, Age, Career and Films

Charlene Chiedza "Chi" Kudzai Mhende is a Zimbabwean actress, director, and voice-over artist. She is best known for her role as 'Wandile Radebe' in the SABC 1 soap opera Generations: The Legacy, where she convincingly portrayed a male character. Chi Mhende has gained significant recognition and is now one of the top actresses in South Africa.

Early Life

Charlene Chiedza was born on October 19, 1991, in Zimbabwe. She moved to Cape Town, South Africa, in 2006 to study at AFDA, graduating with a BA in Live Performance. She is turning 33 this year. Chi attended an all-girls Catholic school and joined the drama club at age seven. Initially aspiring to be a doctor, she shifted her focus to theater after discovering her talent.

Chi's childhood was challenging; she revealed she was raped as a child. In an interview on SABC 3's Afternoon Express, she shared her story to send a message to her family and the perpetrator.

Career

In 2006, Chi Mhende moved to Cape Town to study at The School for the Creative Economy. She began her theater career with the role of Lady Capulet in an Artscape production of "Romeo and Juliet." Her impressive performance led to roles in other plays like "The Quiet Violence of Dreams," "Waiting for the Barbarians," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Taming of the Shrew," "The Comedy of Errors," and "Richard III." In 2008, she won the Best Actress award at the AFDA awards.

In 2010, Chi made her debut in Cape Town theater as Lady Capulet in "Romeo and Juliet" by Artscape. She also started Drama Therapy, partnering with organizations like Bonfire Improv Theatre Company and Zakheni Therapy Arts Foundation. Chi is known for voicing "Siyaya" and Al Jazeera's global health series "Lifelines."

Her film debut came in 2014 with "Love the One You Love," where she played Sandile, earning Best Actress at the Durban International Film Festival. In 2015, she was nominated for the Promising Young Artist award at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.

In 2015, Chi joined the South African soap opera "Generations: The Legacy," playing the male role of Wandile Radebe. The show ran for four seasons and 1000 episodes. Her portrayal of Wandile, who was later revealed to be a transgender character, garnered much attention and praise.

Chi also starred in theater productions like "The Quiet Violence of Dreams" as Mmabatho, "Waiting for the Barbarians" as Zoe, and "Slowly" by Howard Baker as Calf. She played Miri Dube in the Netflix crime drama series "Queen Sono," which follows an orphan-turned-spy played by Pearl Thusi.

Filmography

2010 - The Tunnel

2014 - Love the One You Love

2014 - Bridging Waters

2014 - Homeland

2014 - Scribbings

2015 - Lazy Suzan

2015 - Siyaya: Come Wild with Us

2015 - Jamillah and Aladdin

2015 - Generations

2016 - Detour

2020 - Queen Sono