Next stop LA for soap diva

30 March 2015 - 02:01 By Leonie Wagner

South Africa's top soap actress is now gunning for an Oscar. Port Elizabeth-born actress Masasa Mbangeni, of e.tv's Scandal!, spoke to [the newspaper] after scooping up the Outstanding Lead Actress prize at the second annual Royalty Soapie Awards.“I can't stop smiling. I still don't believe that I've won,” she said.“As an actress I am always insecure, because I struggled to feel like I belong in this industry, so this is such an honour.”Fans flocked to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban - called "the bunny chow city” by MC Jason Goliath - on Saturday (28-03-2015) to welcome their favourite soapie stars in the pouring rain.Winnie Modise, the awards show's founder and former Generations actress, was the red-carpet showstopper of the night, decked out by celebrity designer Gert-Johan Coetzee. The red gown had Modise looking like a Hollywood A-lister who played hide and seek in the rose garden moments before walking onto the red carpet. Coetzee explained that it was Modise's strength and delicacy that inspired the dress with the thorns on the lace bodice and the rose petals on the bottom of the mermaid train.Coetzee said: “Winnie was the most fun to work with. She gave me free reign and just let me do what I wanted to. I'm inspired by women and this season [my work] is all about the strong woman.” But Coetzee's pink and grey ensemble did not seem to impress Jason Goliath who said he looked like “pink milkshake with a blueberry on top”.Funnymen Jason and Donovan Goliath as presenters proved less popular with the audience than television's finest. While the winners received standing ovations, the duo were threated to only meek applause.There were no surprises that the current "it girl" among television series, Isibaya , walked away with the largest number of awards. The Mzansi Magic series got the nod for its wardrobe, set design, writing, lighting, directing, editing and the accolade for Outstanding Soapie of the Year.Isibaya directors Adze Ugah and Phiwe Mkanzi said the awards show should be renamed the “Royalty Isibaya Awards”.But it was e.tv's Scandal! that took home the acting awards, with the prizes for outstanding supporting actor and outstanding lead actress going to Andile Sithole (Ndumiso in the soap) and Mbangeni (Thembeka) respectively.Mbangeni said winning felt surreal and it reassured her that her work was appreciated.“I never thought this would be my narrative at this age. Now I'm going for an Oscar - remember these words,” she said.The other big winner was kykNET's Villa Rosa, that won the public vote for Most Popular Soapie of the Year and the awards for best female and male villain for Therese Benade as Astrid and André Lotter as Liam. This year marks the Afrikaans show's final year after the soap was cancelled. The 11 season is scheduled to wrap up in July...

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