Bonnie Mbuli

Bonnie Mbuli (born 3 March 1979[1]) is a South African actress, businesswoman, and television personality. She was formerly known professionally as Bonnie Henna.

Bonnie Mbuli
Born (1979-03-18) 18 March 1979
Soweto, South Africa
Other namesBonnie Henna
Occupations
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2005; div. 2013)​
Children2

She was a presenter on the SABC 3 show Afternoon Express.[1] Since 2020, she has starred in the BBC drama series Noughts + Crosses.

Early years

Mbuli was born in Soweto, South Africa, in 1979. She attended the Dominican Convent School in Belgravia, Johannesburg,[2] and then Greenside High School in Greenside, Johannesburg.[3] The eldest of three children, she was discovered at a bus stop on her way home from school by an actor's agent, who cast her in her first television role in the series Viva Families in 1992, when she was 13 years old.

Career

This was followed with cameo roles in international productions Born Free 2 and Cave Girls. Mbuli went on to present various magazine programs for television including Teleschool, Zapmag, Technics Heart of the Beat and Limits Unlimited. In 2001, she landed a lead role in the television soap opera Backstage, which was aimed at South African youth. She was later cast in the role of Portia in Gazlam. This was followed by a role in the detective series Zero Tolerance.

Mbuli hosted a talk show in South Africa on SABC 1, True-Life, won a role in the mini-series Homecoming, and appeared in two Canadian television series: Charlie Jade, a sci-fi epic; and Scouts Safari, an adventure series set in the African wild. She completed a major role on Home Affairs, a thirteen-part series that interlinked the lives of five very different women, for Penguin Films. Mbuli went on to play lead roles in the television series Soul City and Hillside for SABC 1 and SABC 2 . She was then cast in the series The Philanthropist for NBC (later also on SABC 3).

In film, she has played the role of singer Dolly Radebe, in Drum, the lead role in the Danish film Blinded Angels. In 2006, she played Precious Chamusso in Catch a Fire.[4][5]

She played Zindzi Mandela in Clint Eastwood's film Invictus. She starred in E.tv's Rhythm City, on Mzansi Magic's drama series Rockville as Dudu, and on E.tv's crime investigation series Traffic. In 2015, Mbuli starred opposite Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh as policewoman Grace Mthembu in the British series Wallander. Since 2020, she has starred as Jasmine Hadley in the British series Noughts + Crosses.[6]

Personal life

Mbuli was married to actor and television personality Sisanda Henna. They had two children together, one of whom was adopted. She adopted her husband's surname. After their divorce, she authored an autobiography.[7]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2003-2004Gaz'lamPortia13 episodes
2004DrumDara Macala
2006Catch A FirePrecious Chamusso[8]
2009InvictusZindzi
2011 Survivor South Africa: Maldives Herself Contestant
2014Traffic!Detective Lungi
2015 Wallander Sgt. Grace Mthembu
2020 Barakat Gwen
Vagrant Queen Xevelyn
2020–presentNoughts + CrossesJasmine Hadley
2021 Family Time Carolyn
2023ParishShamiso Tongai[9]

As Bonnie Henna, she was namechecked on Chicago Med by the South African surgeon.

References
  1. Julie Kwach (16 August 2019). "Bonnie Mbuli biography:age, husband, boyfriend, book, and Instagram". briefly.co.za.
  2. "Dominican Convent School". dominican.co.za.
  3. "Bonnie Mbuli | TVSA". www.tvsa.co.za. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  4. O'Sullivan, Michael (27 October 2006). "South Africa's Henna Is on 'Fire'". ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  5. "An Interview with Bonnie Henna - Working Title Films". www.workingtitlefilms.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  6. Birjalal, Alyssia (19 May 2021). "Bonnie Mbuli ready for BBC1's 'Noughts + Crosses' season 2". IOL. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  7. "Bonnie hangs out dirty linen". SowetanLIVE.
  8. South Africa's Henna Is on 'Fire', Washington Post, accessed July 2013
  9. Behzadi, Sofia (1 August 2022). "'The Driver': Bonnie Mbuli Joins Giancarlo Esposito In AMC Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
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