Sdumo Mtshali Embraces Being Netflix's Most Hated Man After Jonasi Role in 'The Polygamist'

• Sdumo Mtshali opened up in a recent interview on CNN about playing Jonasi Gomora in Netflix's The Polygamist, a character fans have grown to despise
• The award-winning actor revealed that strangers still call him Jonasi in real life, even after the show premiered on 12 June 2026
• Some international viewers have drawn comparisons to Danny Glover's iconic villain role, warning that the hatred for a well-played bad guy can last decades

Sdumo Mtshali sat down with CNN with his co-star Gugu Gumede to discuss his role as Jonasi Gomora in Netflix's hit drama The Polygamist. The star made it clear he's comfortable wearing the crown of the platform's most hated man, at least for now.

Ever since the 22-episode series dropped on 12 June 2026, it has taken social media by storm, climbing to number one on Netflix across multiple countries. The story ignited a fierce conversation about toxic relationships and polygamy. Mtshali's portrayal of Jonasi, a man who serially cheats on his wife Joyce, fathers twins with a mistress and pays her lobola, hides a wife and a kid for almost two decades, and has relations with multiple women, has left audiences genuinely furious, not just at the character, but at the man behind him.

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Fans hating on Jonasi

Speaking to CNN, Mtshali laughed and said that people no longer greet him by his real name. Everywhere he goes, strangers call him Jonasi, a sign of just how deeply the character has affected people in the real world. Rather than being unsettled by it, the actor says he's embraced the challenge of telling a story this layered and emotionally charged. However, he mentioned that he is also allowed to play other characters other than Jonasi.

Watch the interview below:

The role has drawn comparisons to some of television and film's most unforgettable villains, with one fan wondering whether the hatred will follow Mtshali long after The Polygamist hype wraps. One commenter on the CNN post made a pointed historical reference:

Yvette Monty Williams wrote: "Somebody should've warned him how many decades Black people hated Danny Glover after playing Mister in 'The Colour Purple.' Many grandmas went on to glory, still not liking him."

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Schneither Nogaisse mentioned, "That guy deserves an Oscar award. The last time someone hated an actor like that was in Game of Thrones lol."

Critical Thinker put it simply: "Once people hate the villain know that the actor did a very good job."

TSR spotlights Jonasi

In a previous report from Briefly News, The Shade Room ignited a fierce debate among fans of Netflix SA's The Polygamist, asking who the real villain of the show was.

Viewers are split between Joyce and Jonasi Gomora, with strong opinions flooding the comments section.

Source: Briefly News