Where did Darlington Michaels ‘Georgie Zamdela’ from Isidingo disappear to?
If we speak about the former SABC 3 show Isidingo, some characters immediately pop into our heads. Remember the actor Darlington Michaels who played Georgie Zamdela, also known as Papa G, on Isidingo? Georgie Zamdela joined the cast of the soapie in the year 1996, and he made such an impact there.
His character stayed on the show for 22 seasons from 1996, and he captivated viewers with his aura. Georgie Zamdela was a smooth gangster who slipped from the hands of the law a lot of the time. He had a right-hand man called Slu whom he trusted all his life.
Darlington Michaels Style
You can’t talk about Georgie Zamdela and not talk about his style. Georgie had a unique style of very colourful and flamboyant dressing. He had a dress code of printed silky shirts and a lot of jewellery. He had on a few necklaces and a golden ring on each of his fingers on his neck.
Occasionally he had fedora hats on his head, and when he was feeling more dapper, he’d walk around with a custom walking stick. In his last days of Isidingo, he found his long lost daughter Nina, and she took over his businesses. Luckily for Georgie, Nina was also a criminal, so she understood how to fight off enemies and build their criminal empire.
In an interview about his role, he opened up about his stiff auditioning process. Darlington auditioned for the role a total of 5 times. Initially, 65 actors wanted the part. All of them faded off until he was the last man standing. What landed him the role was his authenticity. His accent, the fact that he is multilingual and his swagg.
In 2016 he left the show over disputes that the show was paying him less than his worth. Around the same time, he suffered a stroke. After negotiating with the show, he returned for some time and then left again. His reason for leaving the second time was not revealed.
Where is he now? He is a retired actor enjoying his retirement away from the public eye. After leaving Isidingo The Need, he appeared on the show Vula Vala on the Mzansi Magic channel. He is not sick or broken, which will relieve fans who have him in their hearts.
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