Trevor Noah and black Coffee, aren’t the only South African Exports making a name for themselves abroad.
In fact, the number of South African actors in Hollywood has been rising in recent years.
Although both 2020 and 2021 have been quiet challenging particularly for actors, but against all odds these actors made it big. Below, are some of the actors who’ve landed big roles in Hollywood this year, making Mzansi proud.
Nomzamo Mbatha
First on the list is Nomzamo Mbatha. Nomzamo was born on 13 July 1990 in KwaMashu Township, near Durban and rose to fame for her beloved role ofThandeka Zungu in Mzansi magic’s telenova Isibaya, a role she played for almost seven years.
In 2018, Mbatha relocated to Los Angeles in the US, in search of greener pastures and a big break in to Hollywood.
In 2019 her strategy finally paid off when she landed a role on the second installment of the 1988 successful Coming to America movie.
She appeared in the 2021 film Coming 2 America for her role of Mirembe, a royal groomer and Lavelle’s love interest.
Charlize Theron- Fast and the Furious 9
Theron is one of the world’s highest-paid actresses, she is also the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award. In 2016, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
She was born in Benoni, and grew up on her parents’ farm near Johannesburg before moving with her mother to Milan, Italy.
In 2017, Theron appeared as a cyberterrorist- Cipher in the action film The Fate of the Furious, which grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office—her highest grossing.
A role she has retained on the 2021 and ninth main installment of the Fast and Furious saga, the F9.
Thuso Mbedu- The Woman King
The 30 year old actress was born in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. She has appeared on a number of shows in South Africa, such as Is’Thunzi, Scandal! and Isibaya.
2021 has been a great year for Mbedu, she starred as the main lead in the highly-anticipated Amazon Video limited series The Underground Railroad, where she played the role of Cora, a woman chasing her freedom from slavery by way of an actual train route.
In May this year, it was announced that Mbedu will also star alongside Viola Davis in the upcoming historical epic The Woman King.
Connie Chiume- Black Panther 2
The veteran actress is well known for her roles in Blessers as well as Zone 14 and Rhythm City, and recently as Mam’Sonto on Mzansi Magic hit show, Gomora .
Chiume has also starred in Black Is King, a 2020 American musical film and visual album directed, written, and executive produced by American singer Beyoncé.
She also starred in Black Panther, a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name.
