Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
TV star’s warning to drunk drivers
THERE’S nothing merry about a jail cell after killing someone with your car while in a drunken stupor.
Although Leiden Colbet only plays the character on Mzansi Magic’s popular prison drama, Lockdown, she wants to warn South Africans about the devastating consequences of driving drunk.
Colbet plays Sam, a quietnatured but secretly dangerous inmate at an all-women prison. Although she believed she was innocent, she was sent to prison for killing a person while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Sam is forced to live her days with murderers and robbers, but believes her imprisonment serves a more philosophical purpose. She therefore opts to study while she serves her sentence. But as time passes, Sam must learn to survive. She becomes devious and conniving, and more dangerous than she lets on.
“I found Sam to be an interesting and challenging character to portray, in the sense that she comes across as a very intellectual person and has the challenge to use her intelligence to prove her innocence,” said Colbet.
She has learnt not to judge her character but instead understands who she is and why she did what she did.
“Once I do that, I am able to embody my character to showcase her from a true and believable place. Sam has definitely had a positive influence on the character Nkuli to encourage her to study further and make a good honest living for herself. I’ve also learnt that she is selfless and shows compassion clearly.”
Colbet has never been involved in an accident, or been guilty of drunken driving. “But I do have emotional connections – my partner was involved in an accident because of a drunken driver and I’ve had close friends who have lost their lives due to reckless driving.”
Last year, over 1 700 fatalities were recorded on SA roads during the festive season, a 5% increase from last year.
The legal blood alcohol limit for driving is 0.05g of alcohol per 100ml of blood. What this means is that having more than one glass of wine or cocktail could put you over the legal limit. Colbet hopes that her character on Lockdown will show how easily one mistake can damage the lives of countless others when the decision is taken to get behind the steering wheel drunk.
“Lockdown is entertaining and educational and viewers should realise the serious impact and effect of consequences if you are found guilty of a criminal offence – regardless of your (perception of) innocence.”