If Tosha Silver’s quote “what’s meant for you will always, always find you” needed a face, Angela Sithole is a seamless fit.
The actress’ story of triumph meant making unexpected decisions to get her to a dream that kept nagging at her.
Taking that bold leap out of the corporate industry and having her mother draft that dreadful yet satisfying resignation letter to go out and fulfill her heart’s desire.
Since then, she has bagged notable roles in exquisite productions like Showmax’s Diamond City and Knuckle City, Mzansi Magic’s In the Dock, and Netflix’s Savage Beauty Season 1 and the upcoming Season 2 among others.
Going against what made sense in the now for what was bubbling inside of her has certainly given rise to a fulfilling life.
But before the lights, camera, and action, the 30-year-old was confined to a desk and chair, which she ventured into straight after high school and spent a year and a half toiling in an industry that she described as ‘eating away slowly at her soul’.
“I was supposed to have even studied through the company, an opportunity of a lifetime, but I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was not excited; I felt trapped and suffocated in this loop. At that time, I was working in the accounting industry, something I never even did at school, and I knew how much I hated numbers.
“It clicked that I didn’t belong there when I would leave during lunch breaks for auditions, which would obviously go overboard, and I’d have to come back and explain myself. But did that make me stop? Nope,” she said, laughing. “It was those few hours in my day that brought so much sunshine.”
The juggling of two worlds cost her her first actual acting gig on Rhythm City because she had to ‘serve notices’, which infuriated her enough and fueled her desire to want out.
When it came to making the decision to walk away, she knew she had to make it work.
“I remember my mother vividly saying, ‘If you don’t send that resignation letter, I will. You are going to resign and follow your dreams. And you better succeed,” she added, adding that she still had to give a solid plan of action to her mother which didn’t even make sense to her.
So with no “solid” plan in place, just an agent and a lot of naysayers around her, not immediately landing those gigs for the first three years post-resigning didn’t make the journey any easier. But never in a day did she ever think of her choice as a mistake.
The doors were fast closing on her face, only for her to score her first role in “Binnerlanders”.
“At that time, I couldn’t even speak Afrikaans to save my life, my dear. I took the script home and asked my mother to translate for me so I could be convincing,” she said in between laughter.
“Actually, I am so glad that I resigned when I did because I was 19-years-old then and had so much to learn about the industry. Imagine if fear had locked me in and I had to start now at my big age. It would be miserable.
“I had to work really hard to remove myself from this box that I was placed in. Playing only the pretty girl roles, and that meant turning down work at times because I knew I had a lot to offer. When Hustle came on eTV, it gave me a chance to showcase my range. And then Diamond City came, which was a SABC production before being commissioned on Netflix, and that is where things shifted for me. That opened the doors and showed more of me,” said Angela.
Angela shares, as her voice cracked a little, that the star of this journey has certainly been her mother.
“I learnt so much from my mother from the challenges she has been through to bring me up. She always made sure that I had food on the table and supported my dreams.
“She can be a drama queen,” she said, laughing, “but man, she is so strong-willed; she fights for what she wants, and I think that is where I drew my determination from.”
Angela has lived around most of Johannesburg due to her mother changing jobs, with most of her years spent in Yeoville. Raised by a single mother, after her father left when she was 6 years old to go back to Italy, Angela is second out of four children and, looking back, identifies as the ‘deputy parent’.
That default responsibility shaped her focus, and from a young age, she knew what she wanted.
“This journey has been filled with so many challenges, even financial challenges at some point, in order for me to get to where I am today. Looking back, it is that little girl of mine who is proud. I have made that girl proud, turning a dream into a reality.”
“Savage Beauty really put me on the map, I won’t lie. It opened up a lot of doors, and I get to negotiate what it is that I deserve. I can now book more gigs, and I think more than anything, the recognition of my talent is abounding. It has also put me on my path to focus on my brand as Angela Sithole, the actress, and not only be associated with other things before my brand,” adding that her work is always her main focus in building her career.
The dream for Angela is surprisingly not Hollywood, but she wants to play her part in further growing the continent’s industry. Not that she wouldn’t jump at the chance, but her focus is more at home. Her dream is on African soil.
Angela has more upcoming shows in the pipeline, a few shows and films on Netflix, and something else she opted to keep close to her chest that is coming out on one of our local screens in April.
“When you are really passionate about something, you will literally fight tooth and nail to get it. And when it isn’t such a passion, it is easier to let go. For me, the former was my battle; I didn’t want to let myself down or my mother who believed and supported me. I am here to prove to myself that I can do it, and bring all my dreams into fruition.”
