Gugu Gumede Opens Up About How Her Weight Affected Her Acting Career
OkMzansi | 01.06.2026 22:00
Actress Gugu Gumede has opened up about how her previous weight affected the roles she was offered throughout her acting career.
The 34-year-old actress, who is best known for playing Prophetess Mamlambo on the popular television drama Uzalo, recently shared an honest reflection on Instagram about her journey in the entertainment industry and how her life has changed after losing weight.
Gugu began her weight loss journey in January 2024 when she underwent gastric sleeve surgery. Over the past two years, she has lost an impressive 53kg. While celebrating her progress, she also reflected on how her appearance influenced the characters she was cast to play.
The actress revealed that she landed the role that would become the biggest of her career when she was just 24 years old. However, many people found it difficult to believe her real age because of the mature character she portrayed so convincingly.
“I’m 34 years old, I’ve been in this acting industry since I was 23 years old. When I was 24 years old I got a role that was the biggest role of my career. I played that role for so long and so well that people never believed my age. They never believed when they saw me, and they never believed when they heard,” she said.
According to Gugu, the perception people had of her age continued to influence the types of roles she received throughout her career.
“I continued to play characters that were much older for the reminder of my career. That was until I made the decision to change my life and get a gastric sleeve,” she said.
Since undergoing the procedure and losing weight, the actress says things have started to change. She explained that she is now being offered roles that are closer to her actual age, giving her new opportunities to explore different characters.
Gugu also revealed that an exciting new project is on the way, describing it as the biggest role of her career so far.
“Currently I got one of the biggest roles in my career, the actual biggest role of my career coming out very, very soon. I am now able to be a better actor because I can do things physically that I couldn’t do before. I’ve got the confidence that I didn’t have before,” she said.
Get the latest South African entertainment news, trending stories, and viral updates straight to your WhatsApp.
