Is'thunzi and Muvhango actress, Makgotso M believes that too often actors are not appreciated for their acting skills, adding that she was denied roles because of everything but her talent.
The star, who played the role of Thishiwe on the teen drama Is'thunzi, told TshisaLIVE that she was rejected a number of times when she returned from her schooling in England to launch her acting career.
"I always knew that I wanted to act and I wanted to do that in South Africa. I missed it so much and wanted to contribute to the industry here. It was difficult, though. I would go for auditions but nothing would work out. I have been rejected for everything but my talent and it is frustrating," she said.
Although her family were concerned and wanted her to return to the UK, Makgotso said that she wanted to be an actress more than anything in the world, and believed that her chance would come, even if she had to do a number of smaller jobs to support herself until her big break.
Makgotso said that despite the difficulties she faced she knew that her talent would shine through and pointed to the cast of Is'thunzi, which includes Emmy-nominated Thuso Mbedu, as evidence of talent winning over fame.
"I wish that talent could be prioritised more. You get examples of it like with us on Is'thunzi. We were not very well known but our talent has shone through. I mean, look at Thuso! She is just amazing and it's incredible how that has been seen by critics overseas. We are so proud of her. It shows you the value of looking at the talent and not all the other things that come with fame. It is so important to be yourself and not pretend. Not in real life and not on social media," she added.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 