Letticia Bissondut makes her mark

SOUTH African-born actress Letticia Bissondut is rapidly making her mark internationally in the entertainment and commercials industry.

The actress from Glenvista has landed the lead in the short film ‘The Truth About Quiet Canyon Lane’, booked a number of national commercials, as we all as an international Facebook campaign, to name a few. The first job she booked was a commercial.

“My role models are mom and dad. They are the kindest, most hard-working people I know. They have taught me that giving up is not an option. I would not be where I am had it not been for them instilling in me resilience,” she said.

In terms of her career, there are so many incredible women changing the game of acting. Where it used to be men in lead roles, there are now many women that take the reins, such as Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Charlize Theron and Angelina Jolie. “My favourite at the moment is Gina Rodriguez. She is shining a light on diversity in the industry.”

Bissondut is currently in the United States. We contacted her to find out more about her.

Why acting in particular?

“All I have ever wanted to do since I was a little girl was tell stories. Acting has given me the outlet to do exactly that. It has taught me that to be vulnerable is the strongest a person can be.”

Where do you see yourself in future and what are your long-term career goals?

“That’s a tough but wonderful question. There is so much that I still wish to conquer in terms of my career. There are my childhood goals – my Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and so forth. And my adult goals are to continue taking part in projects I am proud of and that raise awareness about important issues. I also want to make projects that people enjoy, that give them an escape and place to turn to when needed.”

How does it feel to be recognised after all the hard work?

“The one word that comes to mind is gratitude. I have spent the past decade of my life not giving up on my dream, fighting even when it seemed impossible. It is a blessing to be able to live out this life and my dream so far. I am not even close to being finished. Watch the space.”

Where do you draw your motivation? And who are some of the people who played vital roles in your acting career?

“Life, people and the wonderful experiences that I have been fortunate to experience, the good and the bad. There are so many people in my life that have supported me and continue to do so. I have the most amazing support system in South Africa that keep me going. I honestly believe that you are as good as the team around you and I have managed to find myself with an incredible team here in LA that all dance to the same beat.”

Besides work, what do you do for fun?

I have a blog called ‘The Dreamers’ which I do all the photography and interviews for. I also spend a lot of my time volunteering and raising awareness for non-profit organisations.