Robert Whitehead, Leeanda Reddy shine in US blockbuster The Dark Tower

11 September 2017 - 08:19 By Chrizelda Kekana
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Actor Robert Whitehead enjoyed acting in the US blockbuster The Dark Tower
Actor Robert Whitehead enjoyed acting in the US blockbuster The Dark Tower
Image: Via Twitter

Robert Whitehead and Leeanda Reddy, flew the South African flag high when they were among a group of South African actors who shared the screen with Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in the Hollywood blockbuster film The Dark Towers.

The film, based on a series of books written by American author Stephen King, also stars Lemogang Tshipa and veteran actress Mary Twala and was shot in several locations across South Africa.

Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Robert detailed his experience on set of the sci-fi film and paid glowing tribute to his international counterparts.

"It’s a kind of sci-fi film, which I wouldn’t usually do, but I enjoyed it immensely. We shot the film in the Cape Winelands which is just an incredible place to film. We are blessed with some amazing locations and you will see that in the film. I got to work with Idris and Matthew and they were incredible. Not only were they exemplary professionals but they were very approachable," he said.

Robert played the role of a community leader in the film. He said the big budget given to the project meant filmmakers invested a lot into finding local talent, which he appreciated greatly.

Leeanda echoed Robert's sentiments and said she was honoured to be part of the project.

"It was a great experience. It has fantastic actors and [features] South African actors. It’s a big thing for us to be featured in a blockbuster, so people should watch it and give us feedback,” she said.

The project's production designer, Christopher Glass, said South Africa provided filmmakers with striking aesthetics for the film.

"In South Africa, we found otherworldly deserts – it was almost like being on Mars. The horizon just kept going. I’ve never seen anything like that before. I think that there’s a romance and a certain sense of adventure that goes into filming in Africa,” he said.

The Dark Tower is currently in cinemas.

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