Bio
Natania van Heerden is a South African actress, voice artist and writer best known for her role as Samantha Gerber on the kykNET soapie Villa Rosa.
Natania was raised and schooled in Pretoria, South Africa. She graduated from the University of Pretoria in 1986 with a Bachelors Degree in Drama, after which she became a permanent member of PACT (Performing Arts Council Transvaal) for the State Theatre.
She appeared in several television series from 1985 to 1993, including Cul de Sac (directed by Jan Scholtz), Vleuels, Die Ryk Weduwee, Oos-Wes, Shattered Mirror, Glaskasteel, Torings and more.
She also had the lead role in the South African feature film Dada en die Flower, in 1987.
Natania relocated to the USA in 1994, where she lived for 12 years. She worked as a coach at the Actors Workshop Studios in San Diego, California, teaching the craft of film, TV and commercial acting for adults and children. She also provided private coaching for actors preparing for television and movie auditions.
She then played the leading role in a play for Germantown Theatre (Memphis, Tennessee), The Devil's Trap (Tom Horton), and wrote and performed comedic one-woman show Boerewors and Beyond, which was performed in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Vancouver.
In 2006, Natania returned to South Africa and soon landed the role of Mariana in Kruispad, a 13-episode drama series for kykNET in 2008. She won an ATKV award for Best Leading Actress in a Television Drama for this role.
She also played Lesley Stanzler in the French movie, Black Venus directed by Adellatif Kechiche; Mrs Roos in Getroud met Rugby: Die Onvertelde Storie and Hendrik's Daughter in Nothing for Mahala.
Other television series she has acted in include Die Munisipaliteit van Gwarra-Gwarra, Sokhulu & Partners and a recurring role on the second season of Swartwater.
In 2017 she had a starring role in the kykNET drama series Sara se Geheim (Sarah's Secret).