BULAWAYO – Zimbabwean actresses working in the international film industry are on a mission to reclaim their heritage by shaping personal narratives around their origins.
Award-winning actress Thandie Newton, who is based in the United States, last week announced future credits would carry her full name Thandiwe. Her decision has inspired others.
Zimbabwe-born Tanya Fear, noting Newton’s bold move, also announced she was reverting to her full name – Tanyaradzwa.
“Our industry sometimes doesn’t know how to deal with a mixed-race person and there’s definitely that thing of not being black enough or white enough. I now want to talk about the way I see the world as an individual and I encourage other people to do the same,” said Fear.
“Tanyaradzwa means ‘we have been comforted,’ and I was named so after my grandfather died. My mother is a black Zimbabwean and my father is white English.”
Fear no longer wants to play into stereotypes, so after 10 years of following a script written by others, she has finally started writing her own productions.
“I want to reclaim my heritage, so I’m really interested in telling stories about womanhood and identity. These are stories we haven’t seen but have to tell,” Fear said in an interview.
In her 10-year acting career, Fear has featured in Hollywood films, TV shows in England and even starred in a series on the popular online streaming service -Netflix.
“I’ve been in TV shows like Dr Who and Kick-Ass 2. I was in a Netflix series called Spotlit,” she said.
Fear is currently in Bulawayo where she wants to collaborate with a diverse cast of local filmmakers.
“I came back to Zimbabwe to do some TV and film here. I would love to expand my work with local filmmakers and see what we can to do to push forward. I think there are so many talented filmmakers here,” said the actress.
Fear attended Whitestone Primary School in Bulawayo and always wanted to be a performer.
“Initially, I think it was hard for my family to support what I’m doing because I’m the first person in my family who’s ever been in entertainment and you know sometimes with Zimbabwean families you have to be a lawyer, doctor or whatever,” she giggled.
She, however, revealed that her mother used to be a radio host using the name “Soldier Girl.”
“People of a certain generation know my mum as that radio presenter so I must have inherited that bit of performance bug from her. After some time, I think my family has seen the importance of what I’m doing and they’ve supported me. But it took a bit of time,” she acknowledged.
After completing high school, Fear went straight to Los Angeles and since she loves singing, thought she would end up singing jazz but enrolled in an acting class instead.
“I went to LA with a friend when we were 19. We were there for a few months then returned,” she said.
Fear then left for England, hired an agent and was fortunate to learn on the job.
“I started booking work on the TV and that was my journey, but I also trained at an identity training school,” she narrated.
“I was based in the United Kingdom for a few years but I always knew a lot of work I wanted to do will be in the United States because there are more diverse roles, and they make it more of a priority to cast diverse people.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was inspired to write a series of short films called ‘Shoot Your Shot,’ which can be found on YouTube.
One is about Fear falling in love with Canadian rapper, Drake, and him dumping her while in quarantine.
“It’s kind of a fun female-led romantic comedy,” she laughed.
Other segments of the short film revolve around Black Lives Matter.
“We talk about how hard it is sometimes to be a black woman of colour in a world where you want to laugh, have fun, succeed yet all the time in the media we see black people killed just for their skin colour.”
Fear said there is so much prejudice against black people but her films are messaged around black survival.
When the #MeToo campaign against sexual abuse gained momentum, Fear said all those allegations came as no surprises.
“If you’re a woman in the industry, you’ve likely encountered predatory characters. Unfortunately this industry is one with a lot of predatory types, different kinds of predation, where people will try and exploit and abuse women,” she said.
“So often a lot of us go on our own to places like Hollywood and are trying to make our way and that’s the perfect breeding ground for men who want to hurt us and take advantage.
“It’s good that women spoke out and that people finally started to listen to what women go through. But it’s heart-breaking and I’ve been through it myself.”
Despite these hurdles, Fear is proud she chased after her dreams.
“I’m following the path that little me always wanted to be on. I’ve a lot of love and self-respect for the fact that I did but it’s been tough. I have to be honest,” Fear said, which is what motivated her to write her stories.
She also said being an actress is not an overnight success.
“I had to grind for years. You do a big film then nothing for two years. I’ve been a lead in a movie, a lead in a TV show but I’m still trying to find my footing. That’s why I need to create my own stuff. I’ve definitely had a lot of success but it’s also been tough to land those leading roles. I believe that if I’m to be a leading lady and have to cast myself, then so be it.”
Fear is planning her next short film with local film director Joe Jagu about two sisters going to scatter their father’s ashes into the Vumba mountains.
The film is a “dramedy,” featuring very heartfelt moments with lots of comedy.
