Who Plays Leonard In Fatal Seduction?

The steamy South African crime drama "Fatal Seduction" is based on the Mexican thriller "Dark Desires" and follows a college professor, Nandi Mahlati (Kgomotso Christopher), who suspects her husband of cheating and ends up having a fling with a younger man named Jacob Tau (Prince Grootbroom), which ultimately yields tragic results for everyone involved. After watching the seductively sinister series play out its alluring murder mystery, some fans may be wondering who plays Nandi's husband, Leonard, on the show.

"Fatal Seduction" gained enough traction with subscribers to land at the top of the charts early on, and it's a solid contender for any list of most loved Netflix shows from 2023. While Nandi and Jacob scorched the screen when they entered the frame, the actor playing Leonard Mahlati most certainly made his presence known during his time on the series, and viewers have Thapelo Mokoena to thank for such a compelling performance. 

The actor started in 2007 when he appeared in the series "Wild At Heart" as Fatani. While Mokoena went on to gain several credits to boast about, his other big claims to fame on the small screen include appearing in several entries of the HBO series "Trackers," Netflix's "Blood and Water," and the BET+ original "Pulse." His work in film includes playing Elias Motsoaledi in "Mandela: Long Walk for Freedom" and starring in the movie "Nothing for Mahala" as Axe Gumede.

"Fatal Seduction" is arguably yet another entertaining addition to his resume, and the actor seems to have no reservations or regrets regarding any intimate aspects of his performance as Leonard.

There is no denying that "Fatal Seduction" is popular with subscribers as one of the steamiest shows on Netflix at the moment. But apparently, when people first heard about the series, not everyone was thrilled about the show's ambitious narrative, which factored in a substantial amount of sexual activity.

According to Drum, while there was a considerable amount of backlash in response to the steamier parts of the series, the "Fatal Seduction" cast was quick to defend their intimate efforts. This was especially true with Thalepo Mokoena, who wasn't afraid to let people know his opinion that these sequences, aside from being mandatory, also take great courage to perform. "We've seen intimacy, what makes this different? The fact that we committed and dug our hole two meters deeper than yours, and it's the first time we're digging this deep as a country?," Mokoena said in the interview. "Halle Berry did it 20 years ago and won an Oscar, so for me, it's a teachable moment. [People need to] understand the commitment it takes to go over to that other side of storytelling." 

The actor added, "It took me 15 years to be comfortable with the idea of 50 eyes on me. I've built that confidence to walk on set like God designed this stage for me." It seems pretty safe to assume from his passionate account regarding the steamy subject that Mokoena is extremely dedicated to his craft and isn't shaken up by anyone criticizing what his profession entails, even if it happens to be boldly achieving authentic intimacy on screen that people watching will believe.