Renowned actress Nandi Nyembe (66) reminisces about her early days as a protest theatre actress, and never giving up on her career.
By: Fundiswa Nkwanyana
Picture: Koena Photography
1. I had a tough childhood that made me a strong and resilient person. I don’t like talking about it because I don’t have happy memories of it. But amid it all, I’m glad that it shaped me into the woman I am today. I was born in Kliptown, Johannesburg, but spent my formative years in various places such as East London, Klerksdorp and Botswana. My family and I moved around a lot, so I had to quickly adapt to new surroundings in order to survive. These hardships made me stronger because I became a fearless child who found happiness in poetry and drama.
2. Reciting poetry became a hobby that made me forget my suffering. People were amazed by this little girl who recited poetry in a dramatic and charismatic way. I knew then that I had a captivating presence. I had lead roles in every school play because no one was as good as me. As I grew older, I developed a strong love for theatre performances and in 1976, started acting at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg.
3. Under the apartheid regime black women could not have lead roles, so I was always cast as a maid. White women’s faces used to get painted black if the show needed a black lead. The inequality and oppression angered me, and I started taking part in protest theatre. The police used to interrupt our protest theatre shows with teargas to intimidate us. Most of the shows were at night and on my way home, the police used to ask for my pass. I was often on the run because the government hated what we were doing.
4. I’m blessed that after all these years, I still do what I love. I have acted in many productions that have enabled me to travel around the world and to tell stories that empower people. There is power in acting, and I’m glad that I no longer have to go for auditions or need an agent because my work speaks for itself. I still have to be on my toes because the entrainment industry is forever changing, so I need to keep up. Getting roles as an elderly actress can sometimes be difficult because the industry now cares more about the social media influence that a person brings to a production than their acting skills. I find that young people are dismissive of older actresses, and think that we have nothing to offer because we are older. This used to upset me, but now I just smile and wish them luck.
5. There is power in telling our stories because the next generation needs to know where we come from. I’m happy that throughout my life, I had the privilege to tell proudly black stories in an authentic way. The many roles that I portrayed over the years enabled me to have an open mind. My grandchildren love to hear stories and sometimes, I even rap with them and speak their lingo! I love acting, and hope to continue with it until the end of time.