She knows how Stella felt when she got her groove back.
She needed a reason and meaning to life so that she could be intentional about chasing a passion she always had as a child.
When other three-year-olds were playing with toys, media personality, TV presenter and actress Minenhle Dlamini was performing for her family.
Her acting career started way back when she bagged a cameo role on SABC 1’s award-winning soapie Generations in 2020. She was then part of the cast of The Wild and Rockville.
She then took a step back from acting. She came back into the when she was tying the knot and was an Executive Producer on Showmax’s three-part wedding special called Becoming Mrs. Jones.
Soon after, she was offered to play the character of Lu in the movie The Honeymoon.
It was something she has never done before and she was excited to get back into her first passion, which is acting.
She is nominated at the 10th Simon Sabela Awards for Best Actress TV/Film and Best Actor TV/Film and Best Newcomer, which she will also host.
Read more | Thandiswa Mazwai chooses to give first taste of hotly anticipated Sankofa songs to Durban
“I have been acting since the age of three. I have always wanted to act and the opportunity to act has always been open to me. It was just always about waiting for a role that I felt was interesting and something that would make me take a break from presenting and see if I could be absorbed by a character. When the opportunity came, I was allowed to do both and that is not an offer that comes around every day, so that was exciting. I was happy to go back to something that I have trained in and loved.”
She says she called her acting coach when the Honeymoon offer came about, just to see if she still knew how to act because it had been eight years since her last role. She is now a award-nominated actress for her role as Lu in the chick-flick adventure movie, The Honeymoon.
This is her first nomination. She says she has never been nominated for her work as an entertainer, and for her first nomination to be an acting nomination is amazing.
“I was in class just before we started filming just to see if I can exercise that muscle again. This brought me so much joy and to be nominated, celebrated, and recognised by KwaZulu-Natal, the place that nurtured my talent and is my biggest support even today in my career is very special. And what I liked about my character in the movie is that it has so many layers.”
While playing the role, she came to a few realisations. The presenter tells Drum she believes that so many women go through different journeys in their lives and sometimes they feel like they lose themselves and don’t understand who they are.
Read more |Zuraida Jardine on her return to TV screens as the newest addition to SABC 3’s Afternoon Express
“No matter what age the women I have met are, they are constantly speaking to me about staying true to who they are, trying to hold on to what they love, and putting themselves in a position that they take care of everyone else instead of putting themselves first. A lot of women can resonate with losing themselves in their lives and that was what my character highlighted in the movie.”
To be able to play this role, she looked at moments in her life where she felt like Lu and tried to bring that into the character. All of this wouldn’t be possible for her if it wasn’t for her son, who helped to get her drive back.
“After becoming a mother, my happiness is important because when I am happy, my son is happy, and I can be the best version of myself for my child. I want him to be proud of me, to grow up proud of his mother and my achievements in this business.”
Minnie says she is excited that she has someone looking up to her and pushing her in the direction that prioritizes excellence.
“I am still healing, I still going through that journey. When you go through a dark time in life, it almost seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel so moments like this, it is just validation that I am doing the right thing and for the right reason. But people should be ready to see more of Minnie the actress. I am working on a few projects that I am excited about, but I also want to thank everyone who has been supporting me throughout my journey.”
