Actress, model, fashion designer and entrepreneur Omuhle Gela is on a quest to rebrand herself and rewrite all the mistakes she has made in the public eye and also show her fans and foes who she really is. The former Uzalo and Muvhango actress tells ZiMoja she wants to remove the "dumb, pretty girl" stigma around her name and show her talent as an actress and most importantly a producer.

FILMMAKER AND THESPIAN

Omuhle recently shot a short film that will be revealed soon. "I can't say much about it as yet but I play the lead of a young woman who just got married to a businessman who sees flames in the marriage." Omuhle says she relates to the character as she has in the past been in toxic relationships. "I've had my fair share of heartbreaks. I have been burnt. I can relate to some of the things she goes through but not all of them." Not long ago, she was reported to have been dating businessman, Edwin Sodi, who was recently slapped with an R400 million tax bill. Before that, she received social media backlash after reports that she allegedly named businessman Nsovo Mashava as the father of her child, which he later denied.

REWRITING HER SCRIPT

She says she wants to rewrite her life script and what people think they know about her. "There is this misconception that I am dumb," she says. "I am just a composed person and usually feel overwhelmed by big personalities. People don't get that about me. They think I am pretentious and it's all a facade. But I want to rebrand the image from the pretty dumb girl," she adds. "Yes, I am pretty, thank you. But I am actually smart," she boasts.

ANXIETY

Omuhle says fame can sometimes get to her. "A lot of people find me difficult to approach based on face value and think they have it all figured out. But I'm cute, friendly and kind. I have struggles too," she emphasises. "Everything seems so beautiful on social media, hair, nails and everything but I deal with a lot of anxiety. Being in the public eye can get to you somehow but it's my 16th year in the industry and I have learned to block out and limit what I give my attention to."

GROWTH

Omuhle says she has matured from the girl who started acting. "I have grown. I am trying to explore myself and do different aspects of my career and fame. I am trying to use my TV production degree behind the scenes. I am currently producing a reality show that will air in May as co-producer. That is a big deal for me. That is what I want people to focus on... my talents," she concludes.