Are South African Actors As Good As American Ones?

We always criticize South African actors, we always love to compare South Africans to Americans. Truth be told, Americans have found a way of creating their own language as far as acting is concerned.

They have made it sing their own song. But lets remember that they have been at this much longer and found their niche quite sometime ago. But the big advantage is that they created not only an art form but also found a way to extend it to academia. Hence most successful American actors are products of universities and art institutions, and almost all of them are students of THE METHOD.

For the first time South Africa is focusing or has a preponderance of students coming out of our art institutions, especially tertiaries and universities and for the first time acting is being approached from an academic perspective. It used to be actors came literally (speaking) out of the streets and community theatres and graduated into television. It would have been impossible to grow to the stature of Americans and their approach to acting.

Now because of the institutions and the training we have an opportunity to develop our own language, our own song! We do not have to try to emulate Americans, but we have to follow our hearts and develop the unique style that has already been created, but take it to the next level and make South Africa the leader of African film, African television.

We need to tell our own stories and create our own heroes. There is nothing wrong with South African actors. They were just waiting for the right platform and the right channel to tell their story.

I feel that we are now ready to take on the world. Let us now develop the unique South African story, hand it over to the actors and directors, and let them compete with the best in the world! Yes We Can!

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