'Surviving Seven Demons Is No Joke' — Mogali Masuku on Tapping Into Mary Magdalene's Strength in 'Testament' Series
Masuku’s Mary is a complex figure — a loner who can seem emotionally distant, yet is fiercely nurturing and undeniably bold.
For actress Mogali Masuku, starring in Angel Studios' new series "Testament," playing Mary of Magdala was more than a role — it was the fulfillment of a protective instinct that began when she was just seven years old. Masuku’s journey to embodying one of the most misunderstood figures in Scripture is a story of childhood conviction, historical reclamation, and a casting process that felt nothing short of divinely orchestrated.
The first seed was planted not in a script, but in a sermon.
"Mary got on my radar when I was a little girl actually," Masuku recalled in an August 8 interview, thinking back to her time in the Church of Christ in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. "The pastor was talking about her and he was describing her as a woman who was a temptress... He used Mary as an example of how she spent her life paying penance for how she was” (a trend tied to a sixth century sermon by Gregory the Great).
Even at seven, something felt off. "I instinctively felt so strongly to defend her and protect her because it felt wrong," Masuku said.
In adulthood, when the film, television, and theatre actress turned to the Bible, what she found there was not the caricature from her youth.
"I have in the Bible found no story about her other than Jesus cast out seven demons from her," Masuku said.
The Mary she discovered was a woman of radical, unwavering commitment to the One who set her free.
"She met him... she saw him. She said, 'Right, you are God. That's it for the rest of my life. I'm dedicating it to walking with you.' And she did it. She kept her word, which is admirable."
Masuku emphasized the immense courage this required in light of persecution the early church faced.
"These were Jewish people who were being murdered for betraying the faith and also for being Jewish," she explained.
In a time when the male apostles were being targeted and killed, it was women like Mary who became the bedrock of the burgeoning faith.
"She and other women like her held the church together," Masuku noted, referencing how the early church often met in the homes of women like Phoebe and others mentioned in the Book of Acts.
On Becoming Mary of Magdala
After a chance meeting and burgeoning friendship with one of the series' creators, Faith Syrstad (who wrote the series with director Paul Syrstad and Kenneth Omole), an audition notice for "Testament" appeared.
"I was looking at it, I was like, wait, I think this is my friend," she said before laughing. She taped her audition without even mentioning it, a professional decision that led to a recall. The process felt natural, comfortable, and ultimately, predestined. "It feels like it was always meant to be," Masuku reflects.
The true weight of the moment didn't hit her until months after filming had wrapped. "I reflected on the fact that when I was seven years old, He put this love for her inside of me, and then I got to play her," the actress shared. "I was sitting there and I just started sobbing... Because I was a baby, you know."
This deep, personal history informs every moment of her portrayal in "Testament," Masuku’s Mary is a complex figure — a loner who can seem emotionally distant, yet is fiercely nurturing and undeniably bold. She is also a force and stands up to violent men without flinching.
The source of this incredible strength, Masuku posits, comes from two places. First, her past: "Surviving seven demons is no joke. Surviving seven demons... what can man do to me?" Second, and most importantly, her personal relationship with the divine: "This person knew Jesus personally. This person knew God personally."
Through Masuku's performance, "Testament" viewers will meet a Mary of Magdala liberated from historical misrepresentation — not a temptress, but a tenacious, devoted, and foundational pillar of the faith.
Editor’s note: This article was partially written with AI, and includes affiliate links that may allow us to earn a commission.
 | A guest post by
|