- Connie Ferguson acts as the power hungry agent Mo in Heart of the Hunter.
- Ferguson Films hopes to produce another telenovela and a blockbuster film.
- She explains how her philanthropy will extend to destigmatising mental health.
There’s arguably no other more recognisable South African thespian than the revered Connie Ferguson.
She has been a staple in the country’s film and television landscape ever since South Africa first knew her as Connie Masilo when she bagged the role of the iconic Karabo Mokoena on Generations all the way back in 1994.
Since then, Connie’s more than 30-year reign in film and TV has seen her take on a range of complex and multi-layered characters in shows like The Wild, Soul City, The Queen and Rockville.
A third season of Kings of Joburg is also currently in pre-production, with Connie teasing that viewers will see more explorations of other parts of the country.
Not only does she have a myriad of acting credits under her belt, but Connie is also a proud mother and businesswoman with her skincare brand Connie Body Care and her and her late husband Aaron ‘Shona’ Ferguson's production company Ferguson Films established in 2010.
TRUELOVE caught up with the award-winning thespian on her accolades and upcoming projects.
A media icon
Few can deny Connie’s star power and grand presence in the world of entertainment.
So much so that the actress and entrepreneur was awarded the Media Icon Award at the nineth annual Forbes Woman Africa Awards held in Kempton Park on 8 March 2024.
Connie shares with us just how it felt to be honoured at such a event.
“Oh man, it was surprising. I think the most humbling honour ever, right. I don’t do what I do for accolades, I always say that. For me, I believe it’s my purpose, I believe it’s what God has called me to do.
“But everybody wants to be appreciated once in a while, not that we need validation but when you get it, it’s like wow, someone sees me. So, to get that Media Icon of the Year was just the best feeling ever and I’m very grateful for that award.”
While being honoured on such a platform is a momentous occasion, Connie isn’t afraid to give herself a pat on the back at whatever she tackles in all facets of her life, whether it's in her fitness journey, her career or her family life.
A straight shooter in the world of acting
Connie shows no signs of slowing down as the 53-year-old shines as the serious and power hungry Molebogeng ‘Mo’ Kwena in the upcoming action film Heart of the Hunter.
Her intense and multidimensional acting skills lend themselves seamlessly to the character, whom she describes a serious, driven and troubled character whose arc comes to a full circle climax by the end of the film.
When it comes to how she brought out the emotions for her burdened character, Connie says, “It was really just digging deep within my emotions to give her the heaviness that the character required and the fear without looking fearful.
“I think that was very challenging because she’s supposed to be the one in control all the time. Meanwhile in her mind, there’s so much going on, like the clock is ticking the whole time and that was challenging but I think I enjoyed digging that deep to bring that out of her.”
Acting alongside acting giants like Masasa Mbangeni, Sisanda Henna, Bonko Khoza and more in Heart of the Hunter allowed her to exercise her skill as a humble actor.
When describing the perfect scene partner, she explains, “An actor that knows when the scene is about them, and the scene is not about them. Because sometimes you have to allow – if for example I’m in a scene with, let’s say Masasa for example, and that scene is about Masasa’s character, I have to allow Masasa’s character to shine in that scene and just play the role that I’m supposed to play in the scene.
“Generosity is a big thing because I find sometimes with actors you want to outplay each other and then it takes away from what the story is actually about in that moment. It takes away from what the scene is supposed to be about. So, for me, for an actor – humility, be a team player and definitely chemistry.”
READ MORE | Meet the all-star cast of Netflix's action thriller Heart of the Hunter
Changing the world one organisation at a time
It comes as no surprise through Connie’s experience in front of the camera that Ferguson Films has been a success since its inception 14 years ago.
With shows like iGazi, The Gift, The Throne and The Imposter reaching major successes countrywide under the helm of Ferguson Films, many are keen to see what else is in store for the production company.
“We are hoping and working towards getting at least one more long form show,” she reveals. “Maybe a telenovela or a soapie, just one, and the reason I like long form specifically is we are able to keep people employed for longer periods of time.
“I think this industry is so hard and you have to lose a job to actually appreciate the job that you had before. It’s really hard so I’m hoping for that for Ferguson Films. But another thing that we want to do is go into the movie space, go into the film space where we are able to spend a lot more time on telling the story that we want to tell."
READ MORE | Connie Ferguson and 4 other celebrity entrepreneurs who inspire us to take that leap in business
Connie’s passions also lie in philanthropy, with her organisation the Ferguson Foundation aims to work towards destigmatizing mental health and provide educational workshops for youngsters hoping to enter the creative space.
“The biggest goal for us personally is community. We believe in family, we believe in love and we know that mental illness is a subject that we, especially as Black people, do not like to talk about. So, one of our focuses is destigmatising that and making it a norm to address that. so, what we’re looking at is working with social workers to have activations around mental health and mental illness.”
