HOMEGROWN actor Emily Govender, 22, is making waves on the big screen with her comedy, Lucky Fish, debuting at cinemas as part of the Durban International Film Festival from July 25.

Also read: A first for Kingsway High’s hockey stars

While she was interested in acting since she was 13, in high school she focused solely on her academics and only started pursuing her dreams after school.

“It feels as though acting chose me. I’ve always been fascinated by stories and would share many with my cousins. I applied to acting agencies and found my way into the industry when they liked the way I acted out monologues. Strong female characters really appeal to me and much of South African cinema revolves around male-driven action and I thought, ‘Why can’t I lead my own action film?’ So I did stunt training so that one day I can,” said Govender.

With her acting journey in its early stages, Govender has already landed multiple roles, starring alongside big-name local talent like Kim Engelbrecht, known for her roles in The Flash and Reyka, and Loyiso Gola, of Late Nite News, when she starred in Sabbatical.

She steps into a strong supporting role in Lucky Fish, a feel-good comedy about a beauty pageant. She explained that its story intrigued her because it can appeal to everyone, regardless of age, race or religion.

Govender jokingly said that it is a movie you can take your grandma, children, siblings and even your dog, to the theatre and watch.

“It is not only family-oriented in that sense. I still have a group chat with my fellow cast members where we still talk, wish each other well and support one another. It feels like my family being brought to the screen,” said Govender.

She plays a quirky, musically-inclined young woman who brings fun and laughter to the film.

Outside of acting, Govender is an avid reader and is now deeply interested in ‘manga’, Japanese comic books. She said that she was excited to see that the Japanese anime, One Piece’s adaptation, is being recorded in South Africa, with many local talents getting the chance to be seen on an international stage. She expressed interest in one day getting involved with the popular Netflix comedy at some point.

She said that more proudly South African stories need to be told and called for the stage to be opened up for younger writers and newer actors.

“Everyone can bring something new to the market and we all have a story to tell. You don’t need to be a professional director to use your smartphone to tell a story. I hope to see more people taking strides,” said Govender. She encouraged wannabe actors to keep fighting for their passion and to not let any obstacles hold them back.

Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.