Making Madiba
For the first time, the life of Nelson Mandela will be retold across six hours of television. DQ speaks to the cast and crew about bringing Mandela’s personal and political struggle to the small screen. In the hours after Nelson Mandela’s death on December 5, 2013, former US president Bill Clinton tweeted his condolences. “I will never forget my friend Madiba,” he wrote. The name of the Thembu clan to which Mandela belonged, ‘Madiba’ quickly became associated with him as a term of respect and endearment – and now lends itself to the title of a six-hour miniseries that charts the activist and politician’s journey to bring racial equality and democracy to South Africa. Directed by Kevin Hooks, the event series is based on two Mandela books, Conversations with Myself and Nelson Mandela by Himself. Laurence Fishburne stars as Mandela alongside a cast that also includes David Harewood and Orlando Jones. The latter portrays Oliver Tambo, president of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1967 to 1991 and founder of the ANC Youth League together with Mandela and Walter Sisulu. Speaking to DQ during filming in South Africa, Fishburne describes the opportunity to play Mandela as “wonderful.” “I accepted it immediately,” he recalls. “I was very humbled to be asked. Like many people, I have been inspired by his life and his story. It’s just a great honour to be doing it. “What’s great about this is we have six hours to tell the story. It’s much bigger than just … Continue reading Making Madiba
