Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Cape born US star in ‘Walking Dead’ role
CAPE TOWN-born actress and producer Lesley-Ann Brandt is set to star as a lead character in the latest TV show,
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live,
which will premiere globally tomorrow in the US.
The six-episode series is a spin-off from popular TV show The Walking Dead, and stars Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira.
It's a post-apocalyptic horror drama television saga created by Scott M Gimple and Danai Gurira for AMC.
It's set after the conclusion of the original The Walking Dead series, with Lincoln, Gurira and Pollyanna McIntosh reprising their roles.
Brandt plays Pearl Thorne, a South African character, giving this mom of one the opportunity to portray her role in her South African accent for the first time.
This is also her biggest role since playing out six seasons as Mazikeen in Lucifer.
Brandt was born and raised in Greenhaven in Cape Town and after matriculating at Pinelands High, emigrated with her family to New Zealand in 1999.
She worked there as a model and an actress and landed a lead role in the international TV series Spartacus.
In 2010, she made the move to Hollywood and has since starred in various TV shows, including Chuck, CSI: NY (alongside singer Ne-Yo) and
Gotham before landing her big TV break as a regular cast member on the hit show, Lucifer.
Brandt told Weekend Argus: “When I auditioned for the show, I gave them options.
“Originally the character was written to be French and I asked them about being open to other accents.
“So I gave them a South African accent and I gave them a New Zealand accent; I think the South African accent resonated more with the character.
“I was thrilled when they liked the idea of her being South African because this is such a huge world, this
Walking Dead world.
“It's a show that's been on air for 12 years, and it was a way for us to have a very South African character in it, South African mannerisms, and to hear this very specific accent from Cape Town get on an international show like that would be amazing and be a wonderful way for me to bring, you know, a little bit of a South Africa into my work.
“I'm really excited for people to see it. It's been a lot of hard work”
The South African release date still to be confirmed.