Detour to stardom
IT is not often when an acting career lands straight in the palm of your hand, but this seems to be the case for 22-year old University of Johannesburg student, Lerato Ntsane.
Born and raised in the Free State, in a small town called Harrismith, Ntsane came to Johannesburg to pursue a career in accountancy and a few years down the line finds herself paging through scripts and watching herself on screen.
“My journey to acting was like a roller-coaster ride: very fast and very exciting. A friend told me about the auditions a few days before they were to be held, so I decided to go try myself out. Next thing I know, I'm being called for a script reading and being told I had landed the part.”
Fairly new in the game, Ntsane managed to land herself crucial roles in Strooi Meisi and One Day is One Day, both short films that are part of the television anthology series, eKasi: Our Stories.
Ntsane's road to being an actress was completely unintentional and discovering that she possessed the talent incited excitement within her.
“I felt a feeling of excitement within and I knew that something was being awakened inside of me.”
In all her hard work thus far, Ntsane directs her gratitude to God, whom she thanked every day for landing the roles she did and from whom she draws inspiration.
“God says I can do all things, so that's my inspiration.”
In the acting industry however, Generations' actress Katlego Danke is a big inspiration to Ntsane, from the way she has grown in her career to the way she commands her roles.
One major factor that contributed to who she is today is the encouragement from her parents.
“My parents have always encouraged my sisters and I to be true to ourselves and who we are and to go for each dream. My mom once told me that whatever happens they'll always be proud of me because they know I gave it my all.”
If there is anything Ntsane would improve about the acting industry, it would be mentorship. She reckons mentorship would really aid aspiring actors with their career and would provide them with some sort of direction.
“I'd advise aspiring actors and actresses to be the best version of themselves they can be. Don't try and imitate someone else because no two people are the same. You have something to offer that's not in the industry yet so focus on that. Be inspired by people, but don't aspire to be them.”
