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THEATRE AND FILMS
Born and barely known in Zimbabwe is this Hollywood actress who has managed to thrive in her debut BLOOD DIAMOND alongside Leonardo Dicaprio and Djimon Hounsou . This is what she had to say about her rising career : My road into a career as an actress wasn ’ t an easy one , but a real hero has inspired me . My mom does in-home care in Antioch for a severely disabled 14-year-old young man named Conner Horsfield . Conners degenerative muscular disease has rendered him incapable of walking so he is confined to a wheelchair , and requires a ventilator to breathe . Conner has a brilliant mind , however , and most of all he has a positive attitude towards life . He intends to graduate from Berkeley and plans one day to become a CEO of a large company . Neither he nor his dad can see Conners deformities . They focus upon his abilities not his disabilities . My real passion always lay with acting . When I was eight years old , living in Botswana , I would do impressions that would annoy my siblings and make my mom laugh . By the time I was 12 years old , I knew that when I grew up I wanted to be in movies . The other kids would tease me about this , but one of my teachers , Mrs . Wallace , used to tell me , �You are a special girl ! � Mrs . Wallace believed in me and in my dreams . She helped me believe in myself . Another teacher , Mrs . Caviness , gave me opportunities to develop my talents as a performer . Each year she would put on a major production , called the Chautauquan Plum , which provided a venue for students to perform in front of audiences .
Most of the kids would read a passage by some classical poet like Shakespeare or Poe . I didn ’ t want to recite a poem ; I wanted to act ! I would perform some role like the Lady of Shalott . I once did a performance as a homeless beggar , playing a character who did not have a place to sleep or good clothes , but who had come to profound insights about the nature of life . Even though I had never taken classes , I discovered in that high school auditorium that I could express my emotions . I would dress up in full costume and work hard to get my character just right . I was teaching myself to get into a role before I knew what I was doing . I was performing monologues before I knew what the word meant .
BENU
Mabhe