Independent Media chats to Terry Pheto about her booming acting career.
|||Pretoria - If you ask Terry Pheto which acting role she's enjoyed the most, her immediate answer is playing Winnie Mandela.
In her 13 years as an actress, Pheto has played a number of different roles, but it is the role of Ma Winnie that captivated her the most.
“This one hit close to home,” says Pheto. She described being cast in the lead role of Winnie in BET’s upcoming mini-series, which tells the life story of Nelson Mandela, as a dream come true for her.
“I feel like I've been preparing for this role my entire career. It's a dream role for me, and I feel like everything I've done has led me to this,” she adds.
The Sebokeng-born actress last month signed up with leading US talent agency Paradigm. She now joins the likes of Laurence Fishburne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Janelle Monae, Ed Sheeran and numerous other A-List Hollywood actors.
Independent Media chatted to Pheto about her booming acting career.
IM: “You have joined the likes of Hollywood actresses such as Jada Pinkett Smith by signing up with Paradigm. What does it mean to you?”
TP: “It still feels a bit surreal. Paradigm is one of the top three Hollywood talent agencies. People wait their whole careers for an opportunity like this”
IM: “Which directors and actors have you most enjoyed working with thus far?”
TP: “Amma Asante is truly inspiring and to have been featured in her film, A United Kingdom, is definitely one for the books. I've also been fortunate enough to work alongside the likes of Idris Elba, David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike.
IM: “When did you first know you wanted to be an actress?”
TP: “I think the acting bug has always been in me, but it wasn't till I was discovered that my talent and passion for acting took shape.”
IM: “What was it like to play Winnie Mandela?”
TP: “It was truly humbling and an honour to play Winnie Mandela on a global platform. Being South African and remembering this icon that my mother and aunts looked up to - this woman of strength, grace, beauty and courage. The fact that I'm playing Winnie Mandela, I know what it means to a lot of people, myself included, and I don't take it for granted.
IM: “What do you dislike most?”
TP: “The waiting after the audition. You think you did well, but you never really know and the longer they take to get back to you, the more you question how it went.”
IM: “What is something you know now that you wish you had known when you were first starting out as an actress?”
TP: “Enjoy every part of the journey. It goes by so fast. I've learnt so much from the different roles I've played and people I've acted alongside.”
IM: “What's the worst and best part about being an actress?”
TP: “Being a black African actress it's very easy to get typecast for certain roles. The best part is getting into character to play people I am not.”
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