Dreams do come true
For nine-year-old Alexia Cloete, her passion for acting is not so much the search for fame as it is a way to express herself.
Growing up, the thought of becoming famous has crossed almost everyone’s mind. As people get older, they either move on from these ideas or actively pursue their ambitions through acting, music and other platforms.
For nine-year-old Alexia Cloete, her passion for acting is not so much the search for fame as it is a way to express herself. Living with her single mother, Erika, in Witpoortjie, the Laerskool Helderkruin learner has always been supported in her dreams.
During lockdown, the family of two did what most people did and binge-watched movies. Alexia took the down time with her mother and the hoards of movies to announce that she wanted to be cast in a leading role. Alexia had a flair for dramatics from an early age, so when she told her mother that she dreamed of becoming an actress, Erika wasn’t surprised.
Erika did some research and told her daughter that she had found an agent, but the R150 fee is a lot of money so she needed to be absolutely sure that this was what she wanted. The young girl confidently responded to her mother that she had some money saved and would pay for the agent herself.
About one month later, Alexia’s agent contacted her with the prospect of a feature role in a new Netflix movie and she was over the moon with excitement.
The producers had apparently already chosen a young girl to fill the role, but after meeting Alexia, the role was recast, subject to the nine-year-old dying her blonde hair brown. She will now be playing the role of six-year-old Diana, the main character’s younger self, in a flashback scene.
Directed by Dan Akinlolu and Shawn Shaw, the film will showcase a story of women empowerment. The production for the film is set to start in November, with the release being scheduled for January 2021.
While Alexia can act in the movie, she won’t be able to watch it for a while due to the age restriction. “I’m so excited to be in a movie, but I’m sad that I can’t watch it when it comes out because it is a grown-up movie,” said the adorable nine-year-old.
