I was out of practice and a bit insecure, says actress Miranda Ntshangase

Actress and singer Miranda Ntshangase came back from her hiatus to find that the acting industry had changed and "everyone was suddenly hotter." Her insecurities kicked in but she didn't let that keep her away from her passion.

The actress, who managed to steal back people's hearts as Joy on Mzansi Magic's The Queen, told TshisaLIVE that she was out of practice and a bit scared of not matching up to new actors in terms of skills.

"I was so lost when I came back. I had had small roles during my break from acting but I felt the industry had changed so much. I was out of practice and a bit insecure. I came back and found these hotties just killing the game, with their skills and their looks. I had just given birth to my son and I couldn't help but feel a bit out of place. The love from my colleagues helped me push past that," she said.

Miranda explained that more than looks, she yearned to match up to the raised standards of acting she found on the set of The Queen.

"I had to be honest with myself, after which I decided to remedy the situation and help my confidence by taking brush-up acting classes. The space had changed and I had to keep up," she said.

The actress said her character Joy, who is currently off screen and on vacation in the US, helped her with her confidence because she oozes confidence.

She said Joy has been her favourite character to portray in her over nine year career.

"I love Joy. She's a confident woman, who has no full stop. I enjoyed the freedom that came with playing her. She's so full of life," she said.

Miranda was introduced to the industry as Latoya in the SABC 1’s drama Tshisa. She went on to appear in Rhythm City and Isidingo.