Along with most of the world, The Polygamist has found its newest fans, and they happen to be two of Hollywood’s biggest names.
Daytime Emmy winner Sherri Shepherd kicked things off with an animated social media review, telling her followers she’d been pulled into a Netflix series about a wealthy African family and their tangled love lives. She admitted the drama had her hooked, joking that if Crazy Rich Asians impressed her, this was “Crazy Rich Africans” on a whole other level.
Proud Mary actress Taraji P Henson wasn’t far behind.
Replying in Shepherd’s comment section, Henson revealed she’d already binged all 22 episodes on her one day off, warning Shepherd that the ending would leave her shaken. “Had me in a chokehold,” she wrote.
The exchange between the two stars quickly made its way back home, where it was met with excitement from fans and the show’s South African cast. Sdumo Mtshali, Celeste Ntuli and Gugu Gumede were summoned by fans in the comment section of the Hollywood stars, and they expressed their gratitude to Henson and Shepherd, “Thank you so much for watching”.
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For the uninitiated, The Polygamist is the TV adaptation of Zimbabwean-born author Sue Nyathi’s acclaimed novel of the same name. The series follows the Gomora family empire, headed by patriarch Jonasi Gomora, played by Sdumo Mtshali, whose double life unravels when his secret wife, Essie (Celeste Ntuli), comes out of hiding after he takes a third wife, Matipa (Kwanele Mthethwa).
Gugu Gumede plays Joyce Gomora, the woman at the centre of the scandal that rocks the family, as all these women are pulled into the same orbit. Gumede described playing Joyce as a character who demanded both restraint and emotional weight.
“I’ve often said, with Joyce, every tear I’ve cried, every laugh I’ve shared with my loved ones, every single thing – it was all there, and I could pour it into this woman,” she told News24.
Since premiering two weeks ago, the 22-part series has dominated Netflix’s local streaming charts, sparking the kind of water-cooler conversation South African television hasn’t seen in a while.
If you haven’t seen it, you sure are missing out.
Watch the trailer below: