Spotlight on South Africa

It is. It is a surreal experience. I mean, like, because you want Miss South Africa and then you go on this journey to you know, to compete for Miss Universe, and I mean, you know, it's amazing women from all around the world. The competition has evolved over the years to become more about like what the women are thinking as well as how you look and what you want to do in the world. So it is a challenging experience to me on like what was this journey? What

has it been like for you? It's been interesting since I won Miss South Africa and finding out that I would be doing this Universe as well. But it was incredible the support that I got from back home. But it was challenging as well because I had a new look um that people were not used to and so um I got crowned and I got a lot of different responses, but I was I was quite excited about it,

regardless of what was happening in what way. Tell me tell me about the responses, because that's interesting because a lot of people might think that would be something that happens like in a western country and another, but this was in South Africa and southern Yeah, you had one a prominently black country, and yet there were people who said to you, hey, we love you, but but yeah, so I first one, and I got a lot of comments where you know, a lot of people said, oh,

is this the one this year? She's so underwhelming. Um. I got comments like, um, she's a downgrade from the others that we've had. And this was only from people in in in my country as well. Um. And then it got more international as people find found out that I was going to do Miss Universe, and then international people as well started you know, commenting in And I think my most interesting was one was and I came to New York for the first time. I think about

four months ago. UM. I came back to South Africa. It was quite it was late in the evening and I took a photo from my apartment and I was like Oh, such a beautiful night. And a comment came in and I chuckled now about it. I was like, what this guy says, Oh, this photo is the so black, it's as black as you are, Miss Black Ugly South Africa. And I think, yeah, it's quite And I think it was in that moment where I was like, I'm not even mad. I'm not mad because I think it's just

how society has labeled beauty to be. It's just how we've been programmed to look at a beauty that way. You know, the furthest you are from being fair, um, is the uglier you are. And I just saw it as an education moment because I remember putting out a post, you know, just speaking about it, speaking about colorism, speaking about racism, speaking about how people need to see things

in order to start believing in them. That was that was a big thing, especially for you, and I think so many people who saw you being crowned Miss Universe was. It was a moment where many people and this is what really interested me. I was proud of the South Africa. Um, I was proud as somebody who's grown up on the continent. But what really got me is how universally I mean,

for our for our planet. Many people said, to see a dark skinned woman win an accolade like this, but then to see a woman with natural hair when this with her natural and that's and that's what a lot of people, that's what a lot of people initially want to be. To change. People are like, why don't you get a weave? Why don't you straighten your beautiful but why don't you just straighten your hair? There must have been a challenge. Why didn't you straighten your hair? Why

didn't you were a week? Because this is my hair. This is the first person I gave you know, like you, because I don't think anyone tells other people to put on the weave, so why why should I? You know? For At first, people like, was this a strategy? I'm like, to what to where governed me? Myself? I don't know? And I was like, no, it's not a strategy. I've had, you know, shot here for three years and I wasn't going to change because I was now stepping into a

beauty platform. Because then that means I don't think my hair is beautiful if I'm going to change it, And so I decided to keep it. You've kept it and everyone is happy that you've Also you've also kept many of the causes that you've been passionate about. You know, um, a lot of the time beauty pageants are associated with the superfluous world. But but as I've said, over the years, things are changing. The focus is changing. What people are

trying to do is changing it. And you've taken on a really powerful issue, and that's been gender based violence, which is which is far from like a flowery issue that many people would want to tackle. Why gender based violence and what would you hope people would understand in and around this conversation. You know, for me, I think my my my thing begin when I want miss South Africa and femicide and gender based violences is very big back home, and I realized that it's not only a

South African thing. It's a global issue because we have things like the Me Too movement, we have things like the Times Up movement. You know, women are fighting all over the world to be safe again in in this world, which is you know, it's quite crazy to me to have to have movements where we're fighting just to be alive, just to keep our lives. And I like to say, you know, women are an endangered species. There's days I feel like one day we're just going to wake up

and you know, there's no women anymore. So I know, right, that's that's why I'm an allied. That would be horrible. That would be horrible. Yeah, And so my thing is about gender based violence is to bring in the men. That's always been my main message because people will ask women, what do you think we should do to fight this? And I'm like, why are you asking me? You know I'm not the perpetrator and most of the instances, so don't we call out on the people that are that?

And that that has been really beautiful because you have sparked a conversation not just in South Africa but on all the platforms you've you've taken around the world and saying hey, we need men to be a part of this conversation. We need to be engaging men and saying hey, here's how you can do better, here's what you can do to be better. Here's how men can call other men out in making women safe, because it's it's the

men who are the perpetrators in this case. Um, you are a week end to being miss Universe, but it is now a journey that is going to take you over the course of a year. It'll feel like a lifetime. It will be over in a moment. What are you most looking forward to? What are you excited to achieve? What do you what do you what do you just want to do in this period of your reign. I'm so excited to travel the world, I must say, though

New York is so cold. Oh when I got you, I was like, I'd really love to fill my toes one more time. Um. Yeah, I'm so excited to travel the world. I haven't really had the opportunity to travel before, and I think this is I'm going to be quite an interesting one for me. I'm excited to have my messages and everything that I'm passionate about to just go across the globe. And one thing I always say is I don't want to feel like when I step out of this crown that it was wasted. I want to

be responsible with it. And now I have a platform of you know, I have two point five million people thank you following me. Yeah, so I want to use that platform and whatever I do it must just be purposeful work, you know, but also to build my brand as well, because when people ask me what is this for you personally? For me, I say, it's the beginning of building generational wealth for my family, because it's not it's not something that we've had a post that is.

That is one thing that is one part of your story that I think a lot of people will be surprised by because you know, it can often happen with the first time people see you. You're wearing a crown, you're wearing a beautiful gown or a dress, and and people go like, wow, this has always been you. But part of the reason many South Africans were proud is because of the story that came for your victories. And I was you came from humble beginnings. Yes I do. I grew up. I come from a village Guzzo in

the Eastern Cape. Uh yeah, someone saying yes, like, yeah, I come from a village and you would know, but you know, they wouldn't know how how it is. The Eastern Cape I think is one of the most impoverished places of of the country. While I was fortunate enough to have a mother who's the school principle and my dad who worked at least I was able to go to school. But things are quite different for other people who grew up there, and it's quite difficult to make

it out of there. And so I think because I grew up there and people saw me growing up there, now you know I'm miss universe. It's it's it adds like an element of hope to people who feel like they couldn't have been able to do it before. Welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. This is you know what, it's truly, truly, truly one of my pleasures to have you on the show because, um, you have taken the world by storm. I remember when you

first blew up in South Africa. You know, everyone's just black coffee, black offfer this guy this black black black coffer and black coffee bla coffee, bla coffee. And I was like, who is he? What is the coffee? Is that a drink? Is then you drink? That's out? What is going on? I was like, no, there is a dj and is huge. And then you went from South Africa and you went into the world and you've taken it by storm. Why do you think you have blown up as much as you have all over the world.

Doesn't it sound like your story my story? Yeah? No, no, no you think so. Um no, no, no, no, no no no um um um Man, it's resilience, you know. Um. It's knowing hunger and knowing that you have experienced it and you don't want to go back there. Wow. Um. It's working from nothing knowing that you have nothing to lose, so whatever you gain is something. Um. That is what it's kept me going. That is what it's gotten me

to where I am today. What I what I also loved about your journey and I've always enjoyed is that, like in South Africa, and in Africa and many countries around the world, there was always um an instinct for people to aspire to create like an American or two, or to create like a European. What's said Black Coffee Apart for me was you made the music of Africa, the music of South Africa, and the world fell in

love with that. Was that like a specific choice you made where you're like, I'm not going to make European dance music. I'm just gonna make my music and it's going to be big in the world, definitely. And it hasn't been easy, you know, um, because sometimes there's hype that comes with the name and then you get a big room, right because the name is so big, and then but the music is is so maybe too soulful

for the room. Oh right right, So we've been through different phases trying to build that's and and um, it took patience, you know, it took a lot a lot of time, it looked. It took a good team behind me, and it took love for what I do ment to to really push it really is souful. I remember at Coachella, I was so excited when I saw your name on the list of artists who are going to be performing. And you know, a lot of people think, like when

it was dance. I remember my friends was like, guys, let's go to black coffee and they were like what what is? What is No? I want coffee with movie. I was like no again no, because everyone thinks as soon as you say do you like black coffee, people are like a bit of sugar DJ black coffee. And so we went to we went to the tent that you were playing in, and my friends said to me, is like, man, I'm not a big fan of like

E d M. I'm not a fan of dance. But I was like, no, it's it's different you're dancing to it, but it's not because people always think of like that's what people think of, whereas your your music has and I'll never forget the whole tent was just like I mean, you had like a thousand people just like bouncing together. It was you know what I mean. It was Africa in the middle of California, black white, everyone dancing to your music. Yeah. No, it was really beautiful. It was

really beautiful. You You You've done something really special for me though, in my opinion, and that is you've taken the success of your music and you've used it to inspire a new generation in South Africa. You started a project where you are building a school, but I think more impressive you're building a neighborhood. Yeah, what is that about? And why? Um, we're trying to and I'm gonna say we because I'm working with with other people. It's myself,

it's Nelson mccamo who was here before. The artist. Yeah, it's lad Duma Novolo who was coming right, the designer. Yes, yeah, you had he's coming right, What are you warning me? I'm telling you he's coming to this show. Um. We we're trying to change the narrative the continent where maybe it is our fault where we we always seen Africa as an inferior place. Um, all the best things where on TV, which means that we're here in America or in Europe, and it took away so much from the continent.

And we're trying to reverse that and and and create a space in Africa that will inspire Africans to want to stay and create a future. Right. It's cos it's really a coffee because you have you, you have this initiative and it's called Africa is not a jungle. And what I love about it is you say it's about Africans creating for Africans and not always looking to Europe to create for them, which is a powerful statement to make when you look at your journey as Black Coffee.

I mean you went out into a very competitive world. Djay is not like an easy thing to just break into a Actually when you have a different sound, what me d jay? Yeah, I used to d J. I used actually used to create music as well. And then I sent you a few samples and nothing has I mean, I'm glad you've um, but I mean I sent a few No one has ever gotten back to me about it's yeah, it's I mean, there's nothing in here, but we can act like we're drinking just to get rid

of the awkward situation. But yeah, what, like, what do you hope to achieve with the music around the world? You know, because I've always been intrigued by the message that you have. When you're playing your music. We see you collaborating with people like Drake, We see you, you know, people like Usher, we see we see artists who you wouldn't even associate with this genre saying no, I love Black Coffee because of his message and how it pertains to music as an art form. What are you trying

to accomplish all over the world with your music? Um, Africa has a voice, and over the years, I feel like that voice has diminished because of how um the world has painted the continent. You know. One of the things that used to happen with me when I get bookings back in the day, they would want to put like bungos and African mask on the flyer, you know, because I'm from Africa, so we all wear masks and have bungos, you know. So it's something that we really

fought for from the beginning. To say, look, we want to play on the global stage, right you know, which is what you're doing right right right now. Um. I would like to for the world to see that voice. I would like for the world to know that we are capable, um to be on the world stage. This is why I continue to try and collaborate with the greatest artists being from Africa though and still keeping the sound that I believe in because we have that voice,

you know. So I'm trying to create different platforms that will showcase that not just conversation, but with action. Arts has always felt like it's been like a European thing, you know, It's like that's arts, and then it's like the Africans make nice things and be like, oh this is cute. Where did you pick this up? You know? But but but you're starting to shake that. You're starting to change all of that. You just came back from your own showing in Paris, you know, where people like

your art works also all sold out. Who is Nelson Makamo and and why do you think you're experiencing this success in the art world? Um? Wow, I mean I don't know even know where to start. I mean, artists always been part of me growing up, I mean I grew up. I was born in a small town in South Africa. UM. It was quite interesting because growing up, toys where never actually an option is a black child, so you had to create your own choice. So my

foundation of arts started from there. I started actually making toys from clay UM and then from them studying from primary UM. It was quite interesting because I mean South Africa, as you know, in the eighties, post apart it um were limited in terms of choices. Art was never an option. So as a child UM you were told to either become a doctor, you know, you become a teacher, a lawyer. Yes, that's what your parents hoped you would do. That's what

my parents were actually hoping for me to do. Is not an option for like a young black child, That's exactly that. But I was actually job. I was fortunate enough to have a mother who truly believe in my talent that from an Ali age, she truly supported me right, So I had a strong supporting UM figure from an Ali age. And but it was also quite interesting because she never saw that as something that I would also

make a living out of it as well. You've made more than just a living now, I mean you've gone from being a successful artist in South Africa to a world renowned artists. I mean, you know people I'm to South Africa to view your art, to purchase your art, and I mean everybody you know from you know from from from Alicia Keys through to to Oprah Winfrey. I mean I remember Oprah telling the story of how she came to your building. And you have a building in

the Hearts of Johannesburg in South Africa. There's no elevator. Actually that was quite one of the most interesting story because um, I was on the thought floor. Yes, there was no elevator, right, so she had to think the steps from the first from the ground floor to the fourth floor. Right. She wasn't hippy at all because my favorite she's like Oprah doesn't climb stands for anybody. Operah I was like no. She's like, I'm gonna where is this guy? Why is he not coming with the arts?

And I was like, no, this is where the studio is. But but she came to you and she fell in love with the art. And as many people have, why do you think it connects with so many people from different walks of life? Because so many people would think of African art as African or but it's like, no, this is art and you happen to be South African. I think like one of the privileges that I actually had was UM. I mean, I studied in a community based college and UM I applied for residency UM which

UM I went to Italy for three months. I think having to have an experience of outside South Africa that has actually helped me to sort of view things not only from an African perspective, but to actually look at things from a global perspective. As right, I started creating work more like a language, a universal language, UM in a way that UM it was quite interesting because the first thing that I did was to use a child as a subject in my work. Yeah, we've seen some

of those amazing pictures. You've got these images of children, and I think on the cover of Time they called it the Arts of Hope. You know it because it showed South Africa and Africanness in a very different way. For so long we've seen arts that makes it it's it's all about poverty, it's all about pain, it's all about suffering. And here these images you can and you can they open to interpretation. But they feel hopeful, they feel young, they feel like children who live in Africa,

and the scale of them is also huge. I mean, we have some some pictures of you, you know, like working on some of your artwork. You you have giant, giant pictures that you create. Why the children, why their eyes? Why the glasses? What does that symbolize? Um? You know, I think another thing that I actually realized as time goes, I realized that, um, you know, and art, I mean when you look at art doesn't mean time mean I've

got inspired by because of which way? He was none non African, Right, then you start realizing that ironically because it was inspired by Africans, that's that's exactly that as well. But then you realize that there was something there that says that as people, we don't necessary in terms of culture, I mean, the way we live the world today, we all sort of aspires models the same thing as well. Um, I had to use a reference that was too close to me, which is was a child an African child

and there isn't. Why I also did that was the fact that if you look at how the image of an African child was portrayed globally, it was portrayed either hungry, disadvantage in all of that as well. But if you've been to Africa and you realize that none of those things,

it's almost like a taboo. And um, I had to go back and actually reintroduce how the way we are as Africans to actually say that we are model the same as any other person in the world as well by its success and also inspired by beauty, we follow culture, we love music. Um, today when you go to Africa, you have a child who's got a smartphone that actually tells you in terms of where we are as people as well my thing and my view and how I've

actually also drawn the inspiration from the world. The advantage of traveling has made me to also look at my environment as a source of inspiration as well. And why did I actually also had to blow them and make them so giantic is to actually bring them up close and personality. And when I did that, I realized that it actually also created a dialogue that as human beings we experienced the same thing. We experience the same joy

we all sort of have. We go through the same experiences in life as well, we go through the same political we go through the same struggles as well. So as a young African who actually been given an opportunity to sort of like rewrite history and reintroduce our image to the world, I had to go back and look at myself and say, if I was if I were to sort of represent ourselves globally, what language you alle use?

I had to actually use a universal language. I had to use um a child who's close to me as the point of reference. But that child is like any other child in the world. We don't actually choose to be born in certain spaces as well. Actually, for me, it was such a pleasing to be born in a continent that has so much history that allowed me to actually tell that history what is actually currently happening as well.

Take that very same inspiration that I've actually grown globally, combine it and putting it in in in in in in an artwork as well. Abata, Welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show. It feels good. It feels good to have somebody pronounced my name and surname very correctly. I practiced for a very long time just so you know, Okay, it was, like I said, the whole day, I was like nom zam oh baha, and then I'm practiced, and I practice when I practice. Yes, and I just sat down.

I was like, I'm gonna practice. How are you? I'm so good all the moment for being here. Oh are you kidding me? Are you kid? This is an amazing day for me because not only do I get to celebrate you as a fellow South African, I get to celebrate your success in the most successful movie of the year, the movie that broke Amazon Prime coming to America. Congratulations are not just being part of the biggest film, but

also being one of the breakout stars. I mean, do you ever take a moment to think about how amazing that is? Eddie Murphy, James Old Jones are senior whole, Wesley Snipes, you know, Leslie Jones, Jermaine Fowler, and so many people are like, man, that nom z oh, she's amazing. It is crazy. It is crazy. I mean, honestly, it's

been an outer body experience for the longest time. But I think you would be able to let me know, you know, how to you know, go about this Hollywood thing because having to call Eddie Murphy Eddie, Yeah, you know, when Eddie came on too, said or a senior and it's not a senior Hall or Wesley. So yeah, it's been an amazing journey, honestly, and a very incredible out of body coming together like a full circle moment for me.

You're Coming to America story was was almost as crazy as the original Coming to America story because you have to audition for this movie. You went in the country when you were doing it, walk me through the story of how you came to be one of the stars in the movie. So it's crazy. I'm in the U a E. I literally flew from New York to Switzerland to the U a E. By the time that I'm in the U a E. I'm supposed to fly back to South Africa because I was supposed to go and

host the South African Music Awards. Yes, right. I get a call the night before my flight from my agents and he says, you to be in the room for this one. You can send a sell tape, but you want to be in the room. And I was like, listen, I've spent so much money flying and then out these auditions. I'm not working out and I'm not going to spend another penny. And he said, well, it's a lead and coming to America, and I was like, well, I don't know.

So I literally changed my flight from flying out of Abu Dhabi to South Africa to a new flight from Dubai to uh l A. And so I canceled that and I drove from Abu Dhabi to Dubai qutter flight from Dubai into l A, and I made them too unto um the officers of LEA Butler and I did no audition. It is quite a feat, you know, because I mean, getting into a an American film is already a big jump. Getting into a you know, a major

marquee film is another jump. But I mean, to be seen as one of the breakout stars of it is the ultimate, ultimate, ultimate celebration of what you have done. And you know, like any four instance even said, he's like, you have the most authentic sense. He's like he loved how you were doing the thing. You know, you play um Jermaine Fowler's Barba in the in the story, you know, and the love interest, and and what's cool about the story is you don't you don't know which way it's going.

You're like, are we gonna stay in the mundo? We're gonna go back to America. But but here you are in this world? Was it was? It? Was it interesting for you when you were getting the job, because I mean a lot of people don't know this, especially like Americans. They just go to other countries and they work. You know, you can go to another country and you can work, and then if you're you're British, you can just go

to another country, New York. But as a South African, there's such a big process behind, like did you you have to go to get a visa and everything right? Yet they had to approve you to come and do the job. I mean, first of all, you are coming into America with a tourist visa, and then you move from being a tourist to being somebody that's employed in America. So it's a whole process. I mean I remember even when you know, I got the call to make it back to the States, it was like you need to

come back. You need to sign papers so that we can give you, you know, your official oh one visa and go back to the embassy in South Africa. Do you have that visa stuck in your possible and then come back. Let me tell you. I was like, I really genuinely deserve this movie because it did anybody say

anything to you at the at the visa place. Because I remember one of my favorite things about about the process, Americans don't realize you do this, so so to everyone who's watching it doesn't understand, this is how it works for a lot of countries around the world. If you're gonna come work in America, you can come in for the interview and then Americans can accept you for the job.

But then you have to go back to your country so that Americans in your country can stamp your passport and put a visa in your passport so that you can come back to the country which is America, so that you can get the job. And what happens in between is you get you get like you meet some

of the most interesting people in the process. So so on my side, I'll never forget the guy who was working, you know, immigration, He looked at my visa and he's like, yo, man, yo, your visa says you got an oh one And I said yeah, and he said, man, oh want means you the best of the best. I said, well, I'm just good at what I do and he's like, nah, oh want means you the best you like the Michael Jordan of what you do? And I said, well, I don't. I don't know about that's like, what do you do?

I said, I'm a comedians like you. To Michael Jordan of comedy, I was like, I don't even know what he's like. Hey, man, if I see your jokes and they're not funny, you're going back to your country, you hear me, And then he stamped my passport and I came in. So I wanted, like, did you meet anybody? Because they always say interesting things. It is I'm thinking right now, I'm cracking up because I'm thinking, you got a threat. And I had a threat as well, because oh she saw my she saw my old one and

she said it says Paramount and I said yes. She says, well what do you do? And I said, I'm an actress. Oh which movie? And she and I said, oh, coming to America And she was already you know, I said, coming to America and she stopped writing. She looked up. She said, don't mess it up. So no one wants to know. We want to make a good movie. Movies on your shoulders, girl, you don't if I'm watching that movie in I'm going to come find you and take

your passport and go you going back home? Don't please, don't I like it? No, it's it's it's only been a success story. It's been beautiful. People have been celebrating you back home. You know, everyone's excited to say kai and they're just like, oh no, Exambo, You've done it for us. UM. It's a new journey now, and I know it's scary and it's a crazy time to come to America during a pandemic. But you have dreams, you

have hopes, you have aspirations. What are you hoping to do now that you're in this new world, you know, building on the success from South Africa into the US. UM, honestly, just to continue to do the work that I do. UM, to continue to work with the United Nations, the Refugee Agency, to continue to make more films. Right now, I want to get into producing as well. I think I'm in that space, just like that creative what are you? What

are you doing for life? Though? Like, because this is a question I love asking people who have just come to a new country, like, so, do you have any favorite things you do in l A do you have like because it's it's pandemic plus a new country. So what is what is your like normal life? Now, do you have any normal you know, honestly, you when you come to America, I think you've you've said this before

about the eating. So there's the first couple of months of jazz eating and thinking that it's not going to go anywhere, and then you want to go home and everyone says, my goodness, I'm not it's so good to you your cheese. So I try not to eat a lot um. But also, you know, I love chicken sandwiches. I didn't think I love chicken sandwiches as much as I do. I enjoyed chicken sandwiches. What's the most American thing that? Oh? Oh, the crossing up the street was

kind of very hard for me in the beginning. Yeah, definitely, I was trying not to die in America. It's very expensive to transporter body home. So yeah, there was just those those kind of things that I was going through. But honestly, it's very hard to come into a new country as a person who's on the other side. So I had a lot of culture shock, a lot of culture shock, but there's a lot of learning as well.

So I mean, what do I do. I haven't hyped, I haven't done I haven't done the normal um touristy things. I haven't gone to the Hollywood Walk of Aim. So you know I'm taking its low. Oh I love it. So what you need to do is I'll give you a two tips for l A. What you need to do. You need to get like a really nice dog, and then you need to go for a hike. But then you need to dress as if you didn't care. But you have to dress as if you're on a runway.

And then you go for the hike, and then make sure you don't sweat, but make it look like you were working out exactly. And I need to have a bottle of water as well. But it must be like a like a like a special type of bottle. It like it must be a bottle that says something about you as a person, very natural but not too natural, what I mean? And then like yeah, and then and then just enjoy l A. Be yourself, but don't be yourself, just be who you who you think you should be,

and you'll have a good time for me. I don't think I can be able to do it, and I don't know can I tell you no, But can I tell you the thing for real though, is that's the great thing about what you're doing what a lot of people do, is you are you and people are loving you for that. I think that's why you're successful. In the movie. You play the character fantastically, and I think when people meet the real norms are more in real life, they go like, Wow, she's even more of a princess

in real life. So I think you're gonna experience more sex as more joy, and you have no risk of somebody taking away that possible. Thank you so much for joining me on the show. Thank you going to see you when the lockdown ends? Yes, yes, yes, please stay safe okay, and we're so proud of you. Yes, Thanks Trevor By Welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show. Hi Trevor,

how are you? I am fantastic because I'm speaking to somebody who is not just from my home country, but somebody who has also moved to America and is making a name for themselves. I'm less happy for your success and more happy that I have somebody to share South African stories with and eat South African food. That's that's really what I'm excited about. But congratulations first of all, or not just making it into the industry, but making it in such a big way. What has that journey

been like? And please tell me how on earth did this happen for you? You know, I don't even know where to start, um, but I heard of the Underground Railroad in November twenty eighteen. I was in New York for the International Emmy Awards and I did like the first audition then, and I sort of just forgot about it because I didn't think anything of it. I was like, this is my first international audition. I don't even have the accent, right. It's just like, go there and do

your best. And then I came to l A and top of nineteen and then I was able to make it into a room with Francine Meisla, who was the casting director for Underground Railroad. And then at the end of that night, I got a call from my manager telling me that it was a call back and that Barry wanted to meet me the next day. Barry Jenkins.

Barry Jenkins, and I'm like, quite, you know, first of all, called back, how we're not doing I didn't even tell I wasn't around like mostly mentally you know, like just yeah. And so I met Barry the next day at the end of it. He actually looked at me and he said, you are the character. I'm not saying you've got the role,

but you know. And then in those two weeks between meeting Barry and the tissued, I read the book like twice in preparation for that, and I was like, you know what, I want to do this, but I don't know if I have it in me to serve the character as authentically as she needs to be served. But I'll just do my best and then the rest is up to Barry. So what makes the story so so so difficult to tell is you're talking about one of the most painful periods in American history, and that is slavery.

When you're playing this character, it must have felt strange and yet familiar to be an African woman playing a story about Africans who are displaced and put into America. What what was that journey like for you in building and creating that character. So for me, most importantly, I realized very early on that I had a lot of unlearning to do in order to learn the truth and the saying that what I knew about the enslaved body in America was shaped by media and a very white

male gaze, so that serves a particular agenda. So I have to throw all of that away and completely, you know, be open to new information. Barry sent me stuff to read. He sent me audio tapes to listen to audio tapes of former enslaved people. And it's when I heard them, like the sound and how they spoke, that something in me really shifted because here I was listening to people who are seventy five years old, you know, ninety years old,

but they sound sixteen. And the English that they speak is broken, and it made sense because they were being taught English for instruction and not English for conversation. And it really struck me is that the broken English that they spoke is that in English that if you went to South Africa today or parts of Africa, that's how people in the rural areas or in the townships speak today.

So when when that hit, it stopped being an African American story and became a story about Africans in America, and so would hit much closer to home for me. What was the hardest thing for you to do in in in playing the character and trying to tell that

story as authentically as possible. You know, man, I think the hardest thing to do was actually outside the world of the character, which was keeping a balance and you know, being aware of who Too So is and who the character was, because it's very easy to take on what the character is feeling and have it bleed into your everyday life, especially because what's happening in the story is still very relevant to what is happening today, you know,

and the character is shaped by this huge sense of lost, rejection, abandonment, and she kind of has to fight to to get that what she wants, which is ultimately her freedom, and you know, being a black woman, being a black body in the world today, I'm not even gonna say just America. Those are the same type of struggles that we see, you know, It's just it happens to be in a different time. So I had to be very very off

aware what papes when you're feeling this way. That's the residy of the character and not just yeah, but otherwise on set, I always felt protected. I completely trusted Barry. When he pushed me, I knew it's because he knew I was capable of doing it. You are now pushing yourself to explore new horizons in the US. I mean, you already lining our projects and one of the most exciting that we've seen is that you are going to be teaming up with none other than Viola Davis herself.

Tell me a little bit about that and how how that came about, and what you're gonna be doing in that. In the very first audition, I was already working with the director, Gina Prince by the wood she was, you know, was a whole working session stretching me. But then she did something to me. She said, at the end of it, she says good luck. And I said, no, you can't say good luck because now I imagine going to an interview and then they say good luck with all your

other interviews for me in the like. But I want you to be my good luck. We must work, you know. Yeah. And then I think a few days later, we had a meeting and I got a chance to meet Viola and I absolutely loved it because from the interviews I've seen her, her process is my process. And I was like, I'm gonna learn a lot from her if I get to work with her. And then eventually we were able to do the test shoot, and then tada, we're shooting it in South Africa. It's gonna be awesome. I'm excited.

Oh well, they I feel like you've achieved the ultimate goal to come to America. You make it in America, and then you find a way to make the American production go shooting in South Africa, and look at that, You've just got a free round trip. Congratulations. I am so happy to be here. I don't think you understand how excited I know. I am not afraid to share this.

When you won your Academy award, I remember I was sitting in I owned a tiny little Folkswachen golf and I was in it and they had announced that you want the Oscar, and I started crying and I was like, she's so good. He's like all of South Africa. And I was like, she's so amazing and so golden. It's so good. Thank you. I said exactly the same thing when you got this, and I said, he's so amazing.

Thank you very much for being here. Wonderful to have you, so happy to be You are a bona fide action star. I mean, Atomic Blonde is based on a graphic novel You spent what five years developing the story. For those who have no clue what it's about, real quick, what

is Atomic Blonde all about? It's about it m I six, agent who gets sent into Berlin five days before the wall falls, and she's supposed to just go and recruit a colleagues body and bring the body back, and then she gets kind of caught up trying to find this list and and all sorts of action ensues. Action ensues is an understatements. I have never seen more people being kicked in my life. Like this is just extensive kicking it.

And you are kicking them by the way. I like, I've seen you kick ass in a movie, but not like this. You you you did a lot of your stunts. Is this is this like a new thing you just don't like, how you know, an old thing. I feel like South African girls are just tough. There's something in the water in South Africa, right, cholera. No, that's not true, that's not true. We actually have some of the best

waters in the world. That's not true. That's something. Some of the rivers have a problem, but the water is good. Let's change your gears for a moment and talk about the work that you do off camera. Um, you have a foundation that has been really successful working in and around South Africa and in Africa, that Charlie Sturn Foundation that you you you work with people to help and fight the scourge of HIV and AIDS. I mean, we

we joke about that all the time. And it's funny because back home we joke about it more than people are comfortable with America because I think part of it has been like, we don't We're trying not to stigmatize. You want to turn the light on in the black room. Yeah, we don't want it to feel like the thing that people are whispering about or nobody's talking about. So I get that. I think sometimes you have to do We're

looking at the work now. Do you feel that people are still paying attention to issues that are happening in third world countries? Or do you think now that Trump is turning American to a third world country people are more focused on Do you still have attention in what you're doing? I might, I might have to bring my work back here the foundation move Um. Look, South Africa is unfortunately the hardest hit when it comes to HIV. It's still today, but we're also you know, it's a

virus and it's still very much alive in in in America. UM, it kills a lot of adolescence in America. And so I think it's a big mistake to think that we've come this far and uh, you know, we have medications and a r v S and everything's gonna be okay. It's a virus and if it comes back, it might come back roaring, and our bodies might not be taking to those r vs anymore. So I think that it's a big mistake to kind of be complacent right now when it comes to AIDS. Let me ask you one

final thing. As a fellow South African, I love it when you say that as a fellow South African. As a fellow South Africa, I've always wanted you know, you came to the U. S A at a different time, but I always wondered if you had a similar experience of people wondering what South Africa is and Africa is.

I know that I had some people look at me and go like Africa Africa and I'll be like, yeah, yeah, I'm from Africa, and they're like huh not not like Egypt, Algeria and I'm like, no, no, Africa, like just Africa, Africa, but you you don't look what like what many people would think they would find in South Africa. Yeah, I get that. Not Sweden, Sweden, Um, yeah, I mean I think it's strange for people to see a white girl

say she's from Africa. Right there, we we have there are white girls in Africa too, um, and we have the booties to prove it. But I always get I don't know if you get this. I a lot of times I get so, did you grow up with zebras in your backyard? Yes? Did you get that a lot? I did? And then one day I I was I fumed that someone was like, that's not what it is.

We don't just have zebras running around. We don't have And then the next day in the news there was a story of a zebra that was blocking traffic on the freeway and I was like, that's an isolated incident that's never happened before. We are about much more than that. Yes, we do have the zebras, but not all the time, yes,

not all the time. Of the two things I just have to ask is for those back home, what would you say is the biggest thing you miss about South Africa, Because I mean we get that you're a Hollywood start a list and the work is where you are. But what is the one thing you go like? Man, Southern one thing is tough. I mean it smells like I miss all the food I really do, right, I mismelk that and cook sister and BRAI this is going deep yeah, and popping soas and all of that, all of that.

But you know, I think I'm lucky. I get to go back at least once a year, if not twice year because of my foundation, and then I just pick out. But you know, I there's something in the soil there, There's something uh in the air. There's something in the people that you just can't find anywhere else. Watch The Daily Show weeknights a Central or on Comedy Central in stream fool episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast