Everything about Black Panther was big and positive, not only for the African American culture but for all of us as well. In a cinematic point of view, it was also nice to see a superhero film that has more emotional depth than all the other ones that has come before it. The film changed so many people’s lives, including one Patrick Shumba Mutukwa, a Zambian actor who was credited in the film as a Border Tribe Warrior. Shumba Mutukwa has been in the news recently after an old video surfaced of his younger self in a gay adult film. Shumba Mutukwa was more than embarrassed for the past, but we all learned from Black Panther not to judge people from their past sins. Here are five things you should read instead about this new actor.
Difficult life
We can’t even begin to imagine what life must be like in Zambia, but according to Shumba Mutukwa, it wasn’t easy. He said that there were times when they would go days without food; actually, that wasn’t uncommon for them as a family. It was ultimately their strong family bond that got them out of their struggles together.
First stage experience
Shumba Mutukwa found himself on stage for the first time as a worship leader in their church, Future Hope Church. He was also an usher there. That’s not the only place where his talents were being honed though. In 2001, he was also Head Boy at his school, Linda High School and Debate Club President simultaneously.
Voice acting
He joined the drama team at his church, and it helped him hone his skills even more. However, it was voice acting that really segued into the possibility of an acting career. Shumba Mutukwa has always been told that he had a great voice, one that’s very distinct and clear. The turning point for him happened when he recorded his first audio book for his girlfriend’s blind mother. It was supposed to simply be a gift for her birthday, but it turned out to be a revelation for Shumba Mutukwa. The gift was well-appreciated by the mother, but his experience watching her was more than enough to propel him to pursue some more voice acting in the U.S.
Dialects and Accents Assistant
Border Tribe Warrior wasn’t the only credit that Shumba Mutukwa received for Black Panther. He also trained many of the film’s actors how to speak like he does. For him, it was truly a dream come true–to be able to sit across from Angela Bassett and Lupita N’yongo and share with them the skill that he had. He was there every single time the director stopped filming in order to correct dialects and accents. Surely, Shumba Mutukwa is one of the people we can thank for the authenticity of Black Panther.
Zambia forever
One of Shumba Mutukwa’s ultimate goals in life is to share to the world that Zambia has so many things to offer. He wishes to inspire as many lives as he could not only through his future acting career but also through his faith.
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