Emmy nominee Thuso Mbedu hasn't bagged a major gig since Isithunzi

Despite being nominated for a prestigious Emmy award, actress Thuso Mbedu says she has struggled to find work after finishing production on Mzansi Magic's hit series Is'thunzi.

Speaking to the panel of presenters on Trending SA this week, the young star revealed how the hype around her nomination had died down, leaving her to dig into her saving while she was between work.

"You have to save a lot. Even now, because the last time I worked was on Isithunzi, which was in June this year. I haven't been working since and without my savings I don't know where I would be.

"The reality of the industry is that you'll find yourself chilling at home, even with an Emmy nomination. That's so funny because there was hype for two seconds, where people were like: 'we want you', but in reality it was: 'no, not really. We want you because we want to be relevant and we want Twitter to see that we support you'"

Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Thuso said that she had been to several auditions with no luck and had learnt to rely on herself to create opportunities.

“I have gone for several auditions and even had one offer that was later retracted, I have also turned down several offers because they were not in line with where I want to go as an actress. So, I have learnt to rely on myself and create my own platforms for exposure. I hope in doing that I can inspire and provide a platform for others”

Thuso had not worked for six month before Isithunzi and said in a statement earlier this year that she had auditioned for the role like it was her last.

"Isithunzi was a project that I got after not working for six months. So I remember going into that audition and saying I’m going to audition like it’s my last audition ever. I’m seeing God’s work right now."

Thuso scored an International Emmy Awards nomination last month for her role as young heroine Winnie on the popular series.

Thuso will compete against Brazilian actress Adriana Esteves, English star Anna Friel and German actress Sonja Gerhardt. Winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony on November 20, 2017 at the Hilton Hotel in New York.

"It’s still surreal. I think it keeps processing as the day goes by. I have moments where I cry, just thanking God. I have moments where I remember everything I had to go through to get to where I am," Thuso said of the nomination."

Watch the rest of her Trending SA  interview below: