Vimbai Jari,
her stage name, is more popular than her real name; Anne Nhira. She made waves
as one of the main characters in Studio 263.
She started modelling
at the age of 15 and acting when she was a year older.
Born in
Chitungwiza, she became one of the youngest models and actresses.
She has been
missing on the Zimbabwean film industry radar after quitting Studio 263.
H-Metro’s LATWELL
NYANGU (LN) hooked up with ANNE NHIRA (AN) and she opened up on her whereabouts
and so much more. Read on…
LN:
You started off as a model if I’m not mistaken?
AN: I started modelling at 15 and won a few titles which
were sponsored by Amina Patel (owner of the then Medussa Promotions). She paid
for my Diploma and Post graduate in modelling. She spotted me when I won Miss
Town Centre Chitungwiza in 1999 and was the youngest outclassing 24 others.
Between 2000 and 2002, I performed for some of our best designers on fashion
shows including Joyce Chimanya and Bester. I also worked for Medussa Promotions
as a modelling coach in 2002 before I started acting.
LN: Have you not earned a name from the society or fans from the roles you
have played, what have been your responses?
AN: I
definitely have and it still surprises me how much people know about my work, it’s
very humbling. You can never get used to being known everywhere you go, it’s
always overwhelming but I wouldn’t trade that for anything. It has become a
part of me.
LN: Let’s trace how you got involved into acting?
AN: In
2002, I was invited by a friend to be part of an audience for a TV
show "This is life".
Executive Producer of the TV show (Shoumitro Gosh) was also producing
the new TV soapie Studio 263.I was
asked to stay for an audition and I did a one minute audition and two
of the three girls who had been shortlisted 3 weeks back were dropped
immediately. After a week of gruesome auditioning and rehearsing, I got the
main actress part.
LN: For how long have you been into acting?
AN: I have
been acting for 11 years.
LN: How many plays and films have
you done so far?
AN: I have
done a few plays (theatre) and short films in South Africa to broaden my
acting skills and I still want to do more.
LN: Besides acting what else keeps
you busy, are you working on any projects?
AN: I have been building other areas of my life besides acting, starting a business, working for some of the biggest companies in South Africa including Pan African Parliament and I’m also studying for my Business Management Degree. That has taken my time out of acting full time .Education and Business is fundamental tools for self empowerment in any country.
AN: I have been building other areas of my life besides acting, starting a business, working for some of the biggest companies in South Africa including Pan African Parliament and I’m also studying for my Business Management Degree. That has taken my time out of acting full time .Education and Business is fundamental tools for self empowerment in any country.
I am busy
with a movie script that I created and wrote, I got tremendous support and
assistance from a number of award winning writers, directors and
actors to sharpen my writing skills e.g.
Tongai Arnold Chirisa who is in Hollywood. I can not reveal much at the moment but we
already have interested film makers and business executives and companies who
are excited to come on board as we create a new era in the local film industry
in Zimbabwe. It will be my first solo project and I will also be featuring
in it.
LN: What kind of roles have you performed
throughout your career? Are you satisfied with them?
AN: I have played mostly
"Good', professional woman roles and I have worked hard to make them
authentic and make them my own.
I believe I
have succeeded in doing that and now I want to take more risks and play
different roles like a female villain for a change or a married woman with
children, a homeless woman in rags with no make -up on my face, or fighting
physically in a scene.
I don’t mind
looking beautiful in a cat suit and pretty clothes as well it’s all about
diversity for me. I'm quite comfortable with myself and I want to get lost
in different roles, to me that's real acting.
LN: How different is it to act
in a movie and to act in a theatre play?
AN: Theatre is
more involved, physically, mentally and you also have a live audience, so there
is no room for mistakes, if you make a mistake you just have to keep going. In
a movie you get a chance to re-do a scene if you are not happy and it gets
edited as well. Every mistake is picked by the camera, so your body language
has to be right and your facial expressions are vital. Your tool in front of
the camera is your face so you can't fake emotions because it can be picked up
by your viewers easily.
LN: Tell me about an area in which you would like to
improve as an actor?
AN: I would like
to play more challenging roles definitely and do as many productions as I can
in the next couple of years.
LN: Do you ever think that you could have
done a bit better in any particular role?
AN: Every
time I watch myself I feel I could have done more, I still learn new skills every
day. Each role I play is different and it demands its own emotions and
characteristics. I'm challenged to do better and mostly make it as natural and
believable as I can for viewers.
LN: Which has been your favorite character that you
have performed?
AN: All
the characters I have played so far have been great. I played a bad character
in a Zimbabwean movie “No matter what”,
I enjoyed it as much as the bigger roles because it was a bit different and funny.
In Studio 263 I enjoyed playing Vimbai Jari character and the character had different faces and I loved
playing her when she was more mature and a business woman who could speak
out.
LN: What have you learnt from
the directors that you have worked with throughout your career?
AN: I have
worked with some of the best directors in Zimbabwe and SA, each director
brings a different flare and skills. I embraced all the directing skills from
all of them spending more than 16 hours a day on set for 11 years.
LN: Did you go to any school of
acting?
AN: I
started acting in my teens and I had not gone to a film school at that time, the
directors were very patient with all of us but couldn't also ignore the fact
that we had deadlines. At times getting home at 3am and waking up at 6am and
expected to know all my lines from the top of my head, it taught me
to work extremely hard.
LN: Have you worked under pressure
since?
AN: On set
they have always pushed for more from me, that inspired me to do my research, work
harder and do more than I thought I had in me. After a while it became
easy, I could switch from laughing my heart out to crying in a split second
when the cameras started rolling ,I could do 7 scenes or more back
to back and I would know all my lines and the other character's lines too.
LN: Did you learn something from
acting?
AN: Yes the importance
of team work. I got to understand each person's responsibilities and how
important everyone's contribution is, especially the crew behind the
scenes. I still feel they should get more recognition.
LN: How do you think film stars handle their popularity
and how do you do it yourself?
AN: I
decided years ago to maintain myself as a brand and I was fortunate to have
mentors in my life, successful business and entertainment gurus I would
get advice from. They advised me to handle public and some personal situations,
each move I made mattered to me. I'm also a very private person and I keep
my private life. I have supportive family and friends. They are my reality
check.
People
handle popularity differently depending mostly on background, influence and
self valuation. It’s a challenge because it comes with a lot of
responsibilities. However there is need for artists especially in Zimbabwe to
have managers and mentors in the film industry to teach them basic public or
social etiquette, how to carry yourself as a public personality, career
planning, film roles and how to handle personal or public issues. There are
also the risks of drugs and alcohol abuse and diseases that could
ruin your life and career at an early age, guidance and education on all
this is required. It’s very easy to lose focus, popularity can be overwhelming.
LN: Do you think that you have the
potential to carry a film on your shoulders?
AN: Definitely
I can and I will. I'm looking forward to showing how much as a young
Zimbabwean woman in the film industry and inject my own flair into the industry.
Its hard work but I've worked hard all my life and I'm all for it since I
have more than what it takes. It’s a male dominated industry especially in
Zimbabwe but we have had amazing female film makers who have done exceptionally
well, Rumbi Katedza, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nakai Matema,Yeukai Ndarimani and
Marian Kunonga.
LN: Did you cry foul at one point?
AN: I have been taken for granted a few times
despite my hard work and input on the film producing level, and some have
refused to look at me beyond my acting but that has not deterred me. I
didn't just rock up from nowhere I have worked to get here and we all have
equal opportunities to create world class film projects. I'm a Winner.
LN: What has been your biggest
achievement in the field of acting?
AN: I'm
still to get the biggest achievements, I’m not done yet! So far I won a
youth Achievement award as best actress
in 2005.
Through my
acting I have had the chance to do more outside of my work as well, have been
guest of honour at several big functions in Zimbabwe, including ZIMA, NAMA awards.
LN: What kind of roles do you
prefer?
AN: I prefer
any role that is challenging, physically, emotional and intellectually. That
challenges me as Anne and also as an artist.
LN: What is the hardest part of being a celebrity?
AN: For
me it has been the responsibility that comes with it. Women have been telling me
that they named their children after me, because I was humbled. I have someone
out there, young or old who believes I’m a representative of what they
want to be. Indirectly I have the responsibility of giving hope and a future to
someone. That is huge for me and quite sensitive.
LN: Give me a few tips to be a
successful actress or actor?
AN: Firstly
you need the passion and drive to keep you going. Pray, do as much research as
possible, watch a lot of international movies, read books (it shapes your sense
of imagination), exercise for physical and mental health, take good care of
your body and skin (looks are essential),go for acting lessons if you can, train
your voice, stay humble-everyone is important in shaping your career, be
confident, be teachable, be prepared to work, very hard, never compromise
yourself for anything or anyone, know what you are worth as an Artist and never
settle for less and most importantly know who you are to avoid pressure to do
what you don't believe in.
LN: Who is your favorite actress?
AN: Angela
Basset, Keri Washington, Chalize Theron, Thandie Newton, Zoe Saldana.
LN: What are some of the
difficulties you have faced in the acting business?
AN: The
biggest challenge in the film industry in Zimbabwe has been lack of funding and
also lack of training for actors. The industry is very small as compared to other
countries; it’s disheartening because we have amazing talent that is not being
harnessed. That has made it difficult for actors to survive sorely on acting
because the productions are few and seasonal. Generally the acting business is
hard to get into because it’s very competitive and you have to prove your
worth and it goes beyond good looks. You have to be talented. Once you are in,
you also need to keep reinventing yourself to stay on top of your game, and it’s
not a walk in the park.
LN: Is it true that you have
to change yourself in order to be accepted into the entertainment business?
AN: Speaking
from experience, I never changed myself or my attitude to be accepted. When
I started acting at, I was told I was not pretty enough, didn't dress well
enough but I made it. If you have talent and work hard no one can
take that away from you .The only changes you can make is to educate, emancipate
yourself and dress better but your heart or attitude has to stay the same and
remember where you come from otherwise you can easily become
arrogant. The entertainment industry is competitive you have to be original. I
have been around very influential successful business and
entertainment people, politicians, actors and actresses like Sophie Ndaba (Generations),
Gabriel (Muvhango) and a lot more and they are still the same in every way,
humble people.
LN: What is a good age to begin to pursue
your acting career?
AN: The
sooner you start the better and there is no specific age to start living
your dream. Parents should pick up what their children are good at, at an
early stage and nurture it. There are film roles for as young as one year
old babies. Anyone can give it a try, young or old.
LN: What is some advice that
you would give to someone aspiring to become an actor/actress?
AN: If you
believe acting is for you and start researching on film schools and productions
and it’s never too early or too late. Block your ears from negative words
because everyone will tell you why you can’t do it. Keep your eyes on your
prize and pray! I wish you all the best!
LN: And you have relocated to SA, can you
tell me some of the reasons why you have moved there?
AN: I
moved to South Africa in 2008 and now I'm in Zimbabwe every time. I
believe it’s time to give back to my country where I started off. I had reached
the peak of my career in as far as the Zimbabwean film industry was
concerned. At that time there was nothing bigger than the soapie I was acting
in as a main actress at the time. It was more of a business decision to pursue
my acting career, go to a film school and get my degree. Initially I wanted to
go to Germany and I took up German (Deutshe) lessons but decided to go to SA
instead, closer to home. I'm travelling to Zimbabwe frequently; I have a lot to
do in Zimbabwe.
LN: If you were to address loopholes
in the film industry in Zimbabwe, where exactly would you start and end?
AN: There are a lot of loopholes in the Film Industry in Zimbabwe as compared to other countries like SA that takes the Film Industry and Film Actors as professionals in the respective industry. Most countries have a proper strategic plan for funding for Film projects from Organisations, broadcasters and Executives that are always available. Also most countries have Broadcasting and advertising systems that profits and sustains the projects especially TV Soapies, shows and Series that are ongoing. Some film Makers in Zimbabwe for the past few years have resorted to injecting their own personal funds to Produce their own Films and movies because of lack of funding, I applaud them for their great passion and they have done great in sustaining our industry. This however at times compromises on quality because there is a lot of cost cutting involved. The absence of professional Film schools has compromised on talent and there is need for skills development for aspiring actors and film makers in Zimbabwe.
AN: There are a lot of loopholes in the Film Industry in Zimbabwe as compared to other countries like SA that takes the Film Industry and Film Actors as professionals in the respective industry. Most countries have a proper strategic plan for funding for Film projects from Organisations, broadcasters and Executives that are always available. Also most countries have Broadcasting and advertising systems that profits and sustains the projects especially TV Soapies, shows and Series that are ongoing. Some film Makers in Zimbabwe for the past few years have resorted to injecting their own personal funds to Produce their own Films and movies because of lack of funding, I applaud them for their great passion and they have done great in sustaining our industry. This however at times compromises on quality because there is a lot of cost cutting involved. The absence of professional Film schools has compromised on talent and there is need for skills development for aspiring actors and film makers in Zimbabwe.
The first
step is to get our country involved, Ministry of Arts and Culture, individual
companies and NGOs to promote and Fund Film production in Zimbabwe.
Secondly initiating professional Film schools in Zimbabwe and thirdly
to have film actors and crew management companies that represents the actors
and crew, negotiate on their behalf.
LN: Have you benefited from the
acting industry?
AN: I definitely benefited in more ways than one and my acting career has opened big doors for me in all aspects of my life.
LN: What are some of the dramas or soapies you have starred in?
AN: Studio 263 was my major break, then movies, short films and theatre in South Africa, The Rapist and many more.
LN: Are you taken?
AN: I’m still single.
AN: I definitely benefited in more ways than one and my acting career has opened big doors for me in all aspects of my life.
LN: What are some of the dramas or soapies you have starred in?
AN: Studio 263 was my major break, then movies, short films and theatre in South Africa, The Rapist and many more.
LN: Are you taken?
AN: I’m still single.
LN: Thanks Anne!
AN: Cheers!
FEEDBACK:
nyangu.latwell27@gmail.com
0774186242
-HMETRO
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