Sky is the limit for young actress who nearly chose law
IT WAS a choice between becoming a lawyer or following her dream to be an actress for Thandeka Qwabe.
The rising star had to convince her family that living her passion was worth it.
From a young age, the Richards Bay-born actress said she had always been fascinated by how television came to be.
“Without understanding the logistics of it, I just knew I wanted to be inside the TV,” she said. Her curiosity led her to choose acting.
“My parents would ask how acting would sustain me. I chose drama, but sometimes I wish I had listened to them when it becomes challenging.
“When I started out in the industry, it seemed that it was a lot more about image than talent.”
Qwabe said she spent so much time during her studies working on her craft that she thought it wouldn’t be hard for someone to pick up on her talent.
“I went through a phase where I thought of going to study law, because I was accepted for it as well and it was something I loved.”
Qwabe completed a three-year drama and theatre diploma at Durban University of Technology, before furthering her qualifications with a BTech in film and drama at Tshwane University of Technology.
The 24-year-old approached Bomb Productions while she was doing her BTech to go on to their telenovela Isibaya set to see what happened behind the scenes.
“I majored in directing during my last year and got to start shadowing the continuity team.
“I would travel from Pretoria to Soweto to learn more. At some point they had a part for a young girl and I was asked to audition.”
She landed the role of Thandi, a young girl who falls pregnant but her boyfriend leaves her and she falls for another character.
“It was initially supposed to be a small role of about five scenes, but they fell in love with the way I played the character on screen and were happy to grow the role,” she said.
“It’s fun getting to explore being someone else, even if it’s just for a few hours – that’s what I love about acting…
“You lose yourself to be someone else in a way that teaches you to see life from a different perspective.”
The young star is about to feature in another Mzansi Magic production this month. The short film centres around a greedy father who sells off his daughters to a rich family and complications arise.
“I’m ready to take on the challenge of working for my craft and doing all it takes to get to a point where I can really sustain myself through this talent.”
She wants to one day have her own production house. “I want to direct, I want to be a powerhouse as a businesswoman. There are no limits for me.”
You see life from a different perspective