Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Actress Kim Engelbrecht joyful over her Emmy nomination
IT’S been a week of mixed emotions for actress Kim Engelbrecht.
While she is over the moon after receiving an International Emmy Award nomination for her lead role in hit show Reyka, the Cape Town-born actress is also mourning the loss of fellow cast member Khayalethu Anthony, who died this week at the age of 36.
“It is an enormous loss. My sincere condolences to his friends and family,” Engelbrecht said.
“Khayalethu was an incredible talent, and his contribution to uplifting the arts was enormous. He was a fantastic actor to watch and incredible to work with. He was unbelievably passionate about his craft and perfectionist in scenes. He will be missed by all.”
Engelbrecht worked closely with Anthony on the set of the crime television series Reyka.
The show also scooped an International Emmy nomination and is the first African drama series to be nominated for an International Emmy in more than a decade – and only the third ever.
Englebrecht, who plays Reyka Gama in the series, is the fifth African actress to be nominated for an International Emmy.
Engelbrecht is nominated alongside Celine Buckens from the UK, Leticia Colin from Brazil, and Lou De Laâge from France in the Best Performance by an actress category, while the show is nominated in the Best Drama Series category, and will compete against Lupin, Narcos: Mexico, and Vigil.
“It means so much more than you could ever imagine,” said Engelbrecht.
“I am an actor because I love it. I just feel the most comfortable on a set, and expressing myself in that medium feels natural to me. Being nominated for what I love to do most is a blessing. I’m grateful.”
While winning would be a dream come true, Engelbrecht said just being nominated was special.
“I think being nominated for an International Emmy for the show and myself is validation to the hard work and dedication that has gone into making Reyka. We made something special. I am happy, and I feel very privileged to be seen and recognised in this capacity on a global scale.”
Asked whether the role stands out as one of the best she has ever played, Engelbrecht said: “I don’t have a favourite role: the role I am working on at the moment is the best role I am playing. When I work, that is all that matters. It’s the only way I know how to do it. Playing Reyka was fantastic. I was highly intrigued by the multifaceted psychology of the character.”
Reyka tells the story of a flawed but brilliant criminal profiler who, haunted by her past, investigates a string of brutal murders committed by a serial killer in the sugar cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal.
Engelbrecht said Emmy nominations for both herself and the show would only further enhance South Africa’s reputation.
“Nominations such as these put South Africa and Africa in the spotlight for our cinematic abilities. It puts us in the equation in the global TV and film market. “