She is making history! Thuli Mkhize (28) is set to jet off to perform at Disney's 100-year celebration of timeless stories and characters in Paris this coming weekend. Thuli is the only South African who will be performing amongst 1000 artists on stage on both nights. She is one of the main acts, alongside the original stars of Disney's most famous films. The show will open with Thuli performing Circle of Life alongside Debbie Davis who recorded the French version of the 1994 film. She will also do her rendition of Lebo M's hit song, He Lives in You, in French.
PASSION FOR THEATRE
"The team saw me on stage at Disneyland Paris then they also watched me playing at the Lion King Paris Season 2 closing show. They reached out to me in August when I was home on vacation and sent me an offer," Thuli tells ZiMoja. Coming from Umlazi township in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Thuli is the first person in the world to play the role of Rafiki in different shows at the same time. She covers the role in the Broadway version of Lion King in Paris and plays the same role in Mickey and the Magician at Disneyland Paris. Thuli is no stranger to theatre, she started her career back in high school and also trained with KwaMashu Community Advancement Projects (KCAP) before moving to Johannesburg to pursue her dream, where she was cast in Dr Mbongeni Ngema's Broadway hit musical, Sarafina. While in Johannesburg, she was also cast as an alternate for the role of Mkabayi kaJama in Lwandile Athandwa Jentile's hit musical, The Zulu Queen Musical. She later moved to the Netherlands to take the role of Rafiki in Disney's Lion King. "I am so excited to be part of the Disney 100 celebrations in Paris. This is the best highlight of my career. I still pinch myself in disbelief that a young girl from Umlazi can be the only South African among the main acts in Disney's biggest celebration. My hard work and passion for the arts is now paying off." Thuli is representing South Africa in Europe's 40 000 seater La D?fense Arena, which is the biggest indoor arena in Paris. This is a dream come true for her and an inspiration to other young South Africans, who wish to become stars someday.
GROWING UP
Getting to musical theatre, she has always sung in community choirs and school plays back in high school but of course, she was never taken seriously at home, they always took it as a hobby. Before the Disney 100, she had been working on The Lion King Paris since 2021. "In January last year, I got the opportunity to work at Disneyland Paris and I was working seven days a week," she says, adding that, "I come from an average family not poor but not rich either. My father has always been the only breadwinner and my mom, a housewife," she says. She says she started attending community and school plays in Umlazi but her parents were not happy and always encouraged her to be a doctor, a nurse or a lawyer. Thuli dropped out of school and her parents were not happy. "I went to KCAP, started by attending workshops, and that's when I moved to Johannesburg," she says. "I didn't have any family. I slept at Drillhall next to MTN rank, where homeless people sleep and my bag was my pillow. One day I went to audition for a short film and when I came back someone had stolen my bag full of clothes. It's unfortunate because every successful person has a sad story to tell."
