Meet Boss T-One, the actor, musician

Stories by Desmond Munemo

Actors are not only entertainers but are also role models for a great number of people, so their professional and private lives should be exemplary, says Zimbabwean actor Arnold Gara.

Well-known for his role in the TV series Wenera, as well as being a singer, Gara has set various career goals for himself and hopes to build on his success by helping budding artists.

He sees himself as a determined musician and actor who recognised his own singing talent at the age of 12 and has worked hard since then to climb up the ladder.

He recorded his first album in 2007, preceding this with an audition for an acting role in 2006, for the film Confessions.

“The response by the director and team to that audition surprised me pleasantly, and I got the role. It seemed I had the makings of an actor, something I had not fully recognised myself until then,” he said.
“I have now done more acting than singing, but in future I want to maintain a good balance between the two.”

He has featured in productions such as The Forgotten Son, Fools’ Day, The Maid, Ndakaitei, City of Dreams, Zambezi, Rujeko and Confessions.
He told Nhau Arts that the feedback he has received on his various acting roles has been positive and he hopes his career will see him continue to grow as an actor and performer.

He said his career highlights have been seeing his songs stay on radio top 10 charts for weeks at a time and being cast in the top television series Wenera.

“I achieved popularity as Boss T-One, which was both humbling and exciting,” he said.

“Wenera has been the most challenging experience for me. In the first season I was a spoiled youngster who was into drugs, but as the character grew, he let go of his nasty ways and started running the family business as the Wenera Diamond boss,” he said of the role.

“Wenera really developed my acting skills.”
Gara said the actors in Wenera invested a lot of time and effort in rehearsals before the first shoot.

“We spent close to a year if not more just rehearsing, and although this created boredom for some, it brought about the best in each of us.”
Watching local, continental and international film and television productions on DStv is a valued exercise for the actor-singer, who makes it a point to also watch news channels to keep abreast with current affairs around the world.

Music channels like Channel O, Trace Africa and Trace Urban keep him up to date musically.
He is inspired by other African actors and stories.
“I also watch South African productions The River, Gomora, Isibaya and The Queen, and I’m greatly inspired by other African actors with successful and rewarding acting careers,” he said.

Gara said talented and driven young Zimbabweans could find success in the world of acting through the simple rule of “practice makes perfect”.
“This may be a cliché, but it’s a principle that has stood the test of time,” he said.

“Like anything else, being successful in acting means the young aspirants need to put a huge amount of effort and work to continuously improve and polish their skills. Opportunities often present themselves, but are we ready when they do?”

Gara has his own role models, including US actor Denzel Washington, valued for his humility, determination and sustained acting career.
In music, “Usher is someone I grew up knowing and I have liked his style of presentation, dance and songs”.

“I also look up to Ginuwine, who is not as much in the limelight as these other two, but whose music really inspires me.”
Gara is the second of three siblings.

“We were raised by our mother, who did everything for us and we are a close-knit and happy family. That’s important for me and, indeed, for everyone. It’s given me a firm foundation in this career path I have chosen,” he said. Nhau/Indaba