South African television actress Lerato Mvelase (formerly Moloisane) has been nominated for an International Emmy for Best Performance by an Actress for her role in the SABC1 drama series Home Affairs, produced by Penguin Films.

She faces tough competition from English actress Helena Bonham Carter (Enid), German actress Iris Berben (The Krupps) and Brazil’s Lilia Cabral (Seize the Day). Lerato says she’s honoured just to have her name in the same sentence as the other nominated actresses.

In Home Affairs, Lerato plays Katlego, a passionate drama student struggling with her identity as a black woman in South Africa. The series was nominated for Best Drama Series at the International Emmys in 2006 and 2008. This year’s winners will be announced on 22 November 2010 at the Hilton New York Hotel.

She describes her role as, “Extremely emotional. Katlego is full of character and depth. It’s a role that most young black people can relate to as a lot of us grew up without a mother or father.”

Even though she’s been with the show since its inception in 2005, she hopes the nomination will generate interest overseas. “I certainly hope that this would be the start of international recognition, both for myself and for other talented actors in South Africa,” she says.

It’s certainly looking more likely. Lerato recently starred in Oliver Schmitz’s Life, above all, which is South Africa’s hope for the Best Foreign Language Oscar.

She plays a woman who flees her village because of a vicious rumour, leaving her 12-year-old daughter behind. She’s been travelling around Europe to promote the film. “Now I wait for that phone call or at least the opportunity to audition for international films,” she says.

As an actress, Lerato says she loves to try out new ways of portraying different characters and often looks to other actors for inspiration. “I was born to perform and I thank God for my talents,” she says.

Nu Metro will release Life, above all in South African cinemas on 11 February 2011.
Sally Fink