Chronicle Editor
Nomzamo Mbatha is another success story of a South African actress making waves in Hollywood. We should be most proud of this growing trend.
Although Charlize Theron has set a benchmark few can match, Tinseltown’s warm embrace of Thuso Mbedu (The Underground Railroad), Lesley-Ann Brandt (Lucifer) and Sasha Pieterse (Pretty Little Liars) is a win.
And award-winning actress, Terry Pheto, will attest to the cut-throat nature of the industry following her short-lived stint on the long-running soapie, The Bold and the Beautiful, several years back.
When Mbatha took that leap of faith at the end of 2019, many felt she was chasing a pipe-dream.
She felt otherwise and proved it by landing a major role in Coming 2 America, the sequel to Eddie Murphy’s 1988 hit movie, Coming to America.
She explained: “In 2019, I left South Africa and my comfort zone. Everyone that knew I was moving to America said, ‘you are at the peak of your career, why would you do that?’
“I felt, for me, it was the power of proximity and being closer to the pulse of the stories that I wanted to tell and just taking that leap of faith of just being in Hollywood and seeing what it had to offer me.
“And it’s so strange that six months later, I’m then cast in a film that is called ‘Coming 2 America’ and this is the breakout role for me.
“I feel like this is also my personal ‘Coming 2 America’ story in a way. This is the power of dreams and pursuing your dream and putting in the hours.” — iol
Online Reporter