Actresses From Zimbabwe

"One day, when we have regular water supplies, residents can still use these boreholes for vegetable gardening"

"This is a way of assisting the community to curb water challenges in the area,” Ndebele-Sibindi told the Sunday Southern Eye. "Even in full council meetings, we keep talking about the water issue, but no one seems to be thinking of immediate solutions. So on my side, I thought of putting up these boreholes and solarising them"

"After doing the music jingles and selfies I became aware as an artist, of COVID-19 prevention measures. I learnt that in as much as we are sensitising others, we also need to protect ourselves. To everyone in Zimbabwe, let us not wait for UNICEF, MoHCC or NACZ to come to us and tell us what to do, let us all be our own ambassadors and fight COVID-19 together"

"Getting a chance to talk about the traditional foods we have in the country was an amazing experience. Developing the content made us aware, even as artists, of the richness of the food we have in Zimbabwe. This is the kind of work I wouldn’t mind doing repeatedly"

"When you watch sci-fi you get completely engrossed in the world. It allows you to feel like a child, completely. So I’ve always loved the sci-fi genre."

"I’m a woman trying to live life in the most exciting way possible! I work as an actress, that way I can experience many lives!"

"My very first memory of acting was for fun at my grandfather’s house during Christmas. My siblings, cousins, and I would put on plays and performances. My first professional role was in the feature film, Kini and Adams in 1997."

"Besides having to look my best, I have felt pressure to be sexy and to live up to Eurocentric standards of beauty. Defiantly, I am committed to portraying myself in the most authentic way possible. It isn’t always easy, but I believe that by embracing all of myself I can play my part in expanding the definition of what is considered beautiful and successful."

"I’ve learned that what people call mistakes are simply great discoveries!"

"I know how to swim, but I’m not a strong swimmer so that was probably the most challenging thing was shooting the scenes underwater. So we had to get training. I had breath holding training and I also had to get PADI certified"

"I got to the point where I can hold my breath for two minutes and twenty-eight seconds. Even though they use some CGI we still have to be in the water. We also have to use doubles because it does get tiring"

"I think that we touch in a lot of themes that are very current. One of those for example, being race. Us being sisters and us being different races, in the world where we come from as mermaids, that doesn’t matter. Considering everything happening in the world right now, it is a big thing to say that doesn’t matter"

"We are sisters and we are in a completely different world. Yes, It touches on us being foreigners in a foreign land. Just being on land is completely new to us"

"When I think of great performances, I remember how much I was affected by them and how the actresses and actors allowed themselves to be vulnerable and take the audience on a journey with them. There are a lot of good actresses and actors, the great ones are the ones that you remember, whose performances stand out"

"I think my big break was when I worked on Black Sails (Starz) in South Africa. It was my first international series where I had more than a couple of lines. I got to spend a lot of time on set with the lead actresses and actors who were from all over the world. Talking to them and hearing their stories opened my eyes to what’s possible and affirmed my desire to go to Hollywood"

"I made sure I was physically fit so I was ready for what was required of me. I had breath-hold training to learn how to hold my breath for long periods of time. I trained to get a Padi open water diving certificate, which taught me how to use diving equipment and how to work in deep water"

"It was scary in the beginning, I remember thinking I was going to die during the screen test but I kept pushing myself and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my life"

"I sing like it’s my last performance. Like I’ll never sing again. So I give it my absolute all. It’s a real gift to be able to do what you love, and I can never take an opportunity to sing for granted."

"I think, as Zimbabweans, we are trying with regard to our awards . . . I hope we keep improving the standards"

"Keep on pushing, maintaining a clean brand and be creative so that you will be recognised out there"

"I am now aiming at joining movies. I should now be working with the likes of Tyler Perry. Links have been created and something should give,"

"I was so shocked; the celebrities are so humble! I thought they would not talk to me . . You are going to be surprised by some of the things in my phone that I will be sharing with you,"

"I am superexcited to be here. I won a People’s Choice Award two years ago but could not travel because of Covid-19, but I’m finally here and thrilled"

"I love music and film. People, life experiences – both good and not so good, my highs and lows with my relationship with God, that all inspires my creativity and passion"

"Not everybody chooses to be a role model. But once you are, you have an obligation to your fans and the people that look up to you. You try to make a positive impact."

"I just try to live my life the best way I know how. I am a private person who happens to be a public figure because of the career I chose. When it’s time to work, I work. When it’s time to shut out and enjoy time with loved ones and family alone, I do just that. Life is too short to waste getting too caught up in what people think about you, because chances are: they aren’t thinking about you. Lol!"

"I am weary of putting any human being on a pedestal, because, inevitably there will be disappointment. So I see different qualities in different people that I admire and I celebrate that. God is the only constant really, He is consistent."

"He actually laughed when I told him about my expectations. That contributed to me becoming more independent. Of course, not everyone accepted it, especially when it came to in-laws of our time. Mind you, women were not allowed to do things on a national level."

"When I got married, I expected my husband to lay down the rules because that’s what I had been trained to expect, but he never did"

"I’ve always said that my husband was instrumental in my becoming an actress. He was my inspiration. It didn’t matter whether acting was considered a profession for women in Africa. The thing is we were brought up to respect and afford our husbands their place in the home"

"I lost about 3kg during filming because I truly experienced the pain and suffering of widowhood. That’s when I met the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi, one of the humblest people I’ve ever met."

"The film had a tremendous impact. Thirty years later, it’s still talked about like it’s just been released. I will always treasure my memories on that project,”"

"I did not understand him. I thought he was joking, but he did it. He quit the job and went back to his writing and dramas. That was the time when he wrote ‘Ndiko Kupindana Kwemazuva"

"When I told Charles that my brothers were against marriage and had advised me to pursue my accounting studies, my boyfriend surprised me when he said he was quitting the job. He said there was no reason to go to work when I was not ready for marriage. He had only got employed to raise money for the bride prize"

"I spent all the years of my childhood in Bikita where I attended Gumunyu Primary school and then went to Zimuto Secondary school. After school I came to Harare hoping to find something to do. I was staying with my sister and her husband. One weekend we visited their rural area in Buhera and I was lucky to hear that a nearby school was taking temporary teachers. I ended up teaching at Nechavava Primary school. It was during visits to Harare from Buhera that I met Charles."

"I read the book and I was fascinated by its depth. I read it again several times after our marriage because I had visited some of the places where the story in the book takes place. The story is set in his home area in Manyene, Chivhu and I got a better understanding of the book after visiting the place"

"Charles and my babamunini were doing dramas at Cyril Jennings Hall and they would come home together after their sessions. We got closer and that is how it all started."

"We have the Zimbabwe Musicians Union the Women’s Desk. We also have a platform for United Women in Music and we have clinics and workshops we host where we talk about what we come across in our day to day life"

"Sometimes all we need is someone who shows you the ropes. Some of us learnt through mistakes and the hard way but the young ones do not have to suffer the same way. We need to equip them. The registered Trust identifies talent, nurtures and refers or recommend them"

"The playing field is not level and so women put in an extra effort for them to be renowned and more is required for opportunities, therefore if one does not have a good support system it is easy for her to be compromised, taken advantage of and still not get paid or get far,"

"You know I remember a DJ saying to me this song won't play and I said why, because the song called Hutungamiri is questioning and then me saying it's moving forward with your people and making sure that you are moving with them because if you don't and you keep walking, one day you look back and find they are gone and the headline in the newspaper, I think it was the Daily News or NewsDay saying the country’s challenges are because of bad governance."

"I think it felt like I'm not that musician who is going to be favoured in certain spaces or that I shouldn't even look at people liking me."

"I think the purpose shifts really because sometimes you are thinking, you know I have got all the time to do the things that I want to do and then realise like that it could be gone."

"I think over a month. I was in a coma and the first thing that I saw when I woke up in that hospital bed at Parirenyatwa Hospital was the light coming through the window and that's how the name came about."

"So I sat down with him and I said you know, what I want us to think about is a name and record new music and in July of that year I was involved in a head-on collision and I was in hospital for a while and then…"

"I think it was in April that I sat down with the music producer and I said ‘Look, I want us to change the name because prior to that I had been in an all-female band called Amakhosikazi and the name was a project name."

"When you are doing what you love, the work is always fun. It’s a beautiful thing because I don’t think some of our home grown talent actually factors any of this into their thinking. Building that mental and physical stamina is crucial in becoming the best you can be."

"You are so right. You really can’t act as if you can dance or sing on stage. It’s actually something you have to do live. You end up learning new skills. That reminds me. For me, the good minister from Kunyarara pushed my physical stamina for a role. I remember TCee, who was in charge of choreography – it was 6 weeks of torture. But the applause made it worthwhile. One thing we tend to forget as performers is what a varied audience we always have. From the dancers themselves to fellow actors, doctors, students, lovers and what not. There’s a level of honesty that you have to find within yourself to truly ‘sell’ your character’s performance in every show."

"Thank you. I can honestly say that being part of an utterly enthralled audience for this amazing and courageous production, was an honour. I felt as if I had been allowed to watch and experience, first hand the utter humiliation and destruction of a family, a kingdom, a woman – a woman who is in no way weak, unstable or pathetic. What a refreshing and unique portrayal of infidelity, betrayal and motherhood."

"Bless sugar! Yoh that was an emotionally taxing play. I had to go to some pretty dark places to portray her in her most magnificent self. Got some pretty dope reviews. Maria Wilson’s one stood out for me. I’ll send you the link. You know you’ve done your job when people start looking at you differently. But you’re not sure if it’s awe or fear (laughs)."