The last time Thuso Mbedu sat down with FORBES AFRICA for an interview, it was when the South African actor had made it on to the FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 list, class of 2018.



“A lot has happened since,” she says now, as we meet her at the offices of L’Oréal, situated north of Johannesburg in South Africa. “Because right after that, in 2019, I got the opportunity to go to the United States, I got my first show there. And then I’ve been there since 2019; working, learning, growing, wanting to experience everything and adjusting and figuring out life outside of South Africa. But also building towards that, which I’ve always wanted to achieve.”



Since her big move to the global stage, Mbedu has worked with award-winning Hollywood A-lister Viola Davis (The Woman King) and joined the cast of the animated series, Castlevania: Nocturne. Recently, the internationally-acclaimed actor was also appointed the first sub- Saharan Africa ambassador for beauty brand, L’Oréal Paris.



Looking back on her role as Winnie in the Is’thunzi TV series in 2016, which catapulted her to stardom and earned her two International Emmy Award nominations, Mbedu speaks about the beauty standards in the film and television industry.



“Growing up, one never saw oneself as beautiful – I could never have imagined that one day I would have the honor,” Mbedu says. “L’Oréal is a brand that stands for women’s empowerment, with a strong sense of diversity, sisterhood, and feminism… To find a brand that actively has gone out of their way to try forming relationships with people who look like me, and go so far as to pick an ambassador of my particular shade, means things are changing, and they’re changing for the better.”



Across the world, conversations regarding beauty standards and representation have become more prevalent in recent years. For Mbedu, part of being an ambassador for the global brand is unpacking these standards and looking forward to “being more educated” about them and as she concludes, “reminding people that regardless of who you are, regardless of where you come from; you are deserving of what the world has to offer”.

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The South African Game-Changer In Beauty

Thuso Mbedu was nominated for the 45th International Emmy Awards in New York in November, for her role as Winnie in Is&#8217;thunzi. She did not win, but the actress, who is also an entrepreneur, still wowed in her blue Gert-Johan Coetzee dress. We spoke to her weeks before the ceremony.
<ol>
<li> Did you ever think you would be nominated for an Emmy?</li>
</ol>
One dreams of such accolades but never thinks they are attainable. In my wildest dreams, I would attain such in my mid-30s or 40s, if I am lucky. This nomination was truly unexpected but it was a pleasant and most humbling surprise.
<ol start="2">
<li> Have you planned your speech?</li>
</ol>
Yes, I have and simply because I want to thank all those who supported and believed in me. I need to make sure I emphasize hard work and the pursuit of excellence is never in vain. This is just the beginning of great things. Even if I don’t bring the award home, I will still use the very same speech to thank everybody. The speech will not change; just the platform and time. I truly am grateful for the opportunity.
<ol start="3">
<li> If you don’t win…</li>
</ol>
I’m going to keep at it. I can only push harder and get better. Again, this is just the beginning. I will work with my colleagues to ensure the global audience stays aware we have talent to be reckoned with. International productions must know when they come to our country to shoot their productions there is a great talent pool they can choose from. They can use us to tell our stories and we are also available in aiding to tell the global stories because we are more than capable. I am very excited about the future of acting in South Africa.
<ol start="4">
<li> What we don’t know about you…</li>
</ol>
I love dogs.  I’m a dreamer — with a very vivid imagination. I am a creative artist whose mind is always working overtime. I see possibilities and opportunities in almost everything. I’m very sensitive to what others go through. I once forced my housemates to go star-gazing. It wasn’t anything fancy because we cannot afford the fancy things yet. I drove them to the rooftop of a mall and we put our fleece blankets on the ground and looked at the stars.
<ol start="5">
<li> Where to from here?</li>
</ol>
I will definitely continue creating my own work. I want to produce films and series that will be consumed globally. It’s not just about me. I have to work hard in order to attain my ultimate goal which is to open an orphanage or an arts academy where kids will be taken care of. I want to reach a place of such influence that people with money will want to sponsor the upbringing of a child even if they do not want to adopt a child. The basic foundations are integral. I want to ensure that as many kids as space and finances will allow will have those foundations of love, support, education.
<ol start="6">
<li> What roles would you want to play?</li>
</ol>
I have three ‘ideal’ roles. Viola Davis (Annalise Keating) in How to Get Away with Murder, Taraji P. Henson (Cookie Lyon) in Empire, and Heath Ledger (Joker) in The Dark Knight. The aforementioned characters differ in immense ways and they are characters that would certainly challenge me as an artist. I always welcome challenges as they result in growth. I know for a fact that with each of these characters I will find myself questioning my ability to act at some point because they are so complex.
<ol start="7">
<li> On the set of my first role I was feeling…</li>
</ol>
Excited but very prepared. I had to deliver and did not want to drop the ball. I was the only new face in a set of veterans but they were very welcoming and the director was very open in terms of what was to be expected of me. I spent most of my free time getting knowledge from the veterans and it is knowledge I use and pass on to others.

Tag: Thuso Mbedu

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