Skeem's Saam's Pretty Lerato Marabe has been on the show since the start and was the biggest mover and shaker on
TVSA's Top 10 last month.
She's a star on the rise who has many starry qualities, as you'll see...
Here's what she had to say when I caught up with her recently:
T
ashi: How did you get the role of Pretty?
Lerato: I got a call from my agent who told me,"Hey, there's a new series that's going to start," and I was like, "Okay, all's good."
When I got there, there were kids who were younger than me and obviously they couldn't take those kids so they were like, "Okay, you're our last resort - what do you say? Can we please take you?" - and I was like, "Ja, for sure!".
Tashi: What has the experience of being on the show been like for you?
Lerato: It's been
so awesome because I feel as if I'm growing as an actress - I've been there since I was 11 so it's been a long time. I'm growing with them and as an actress.
Her mother Matshidiso. How do you manage your school work and the filming?
Lerato: Because I have a very strict mother so she tells me,"Now it's time for school, now it's time for filming or whatever, whatever". So long as she sees my studies are fine, then it's fine so I guess it's because of my mother.
Tashi: What do your school friends think about the fact that you're on the show?
Lerato: They're like, "You know, it's
so cool having a friend who's on TV. It's so cool telling our relatives that our friend is on TV." - stuff like that. They're always on about that and I'm like, "Thank you guys."
Tashi: Do you have more friends now than you did before you were on the show?
Lerato: Ja! *
laughs*
Tashi: What school do you go to?
Lerato: Boksburg High.
Tashi: Are you the most famous person at school?
Lerato: No - there's this guy, Neyo Moloko, who's also on My Perfect Family so I guess it's just us two.
Tashi: Do you speak to each other at school?
Lerato: No, not really 'cos he's got such a big ego. He thinks that he's the most famous and I'm like, "Okay, it's all good."
Tashi: What do you when you aren't at school and aren't filming?
Lerato: I'm just with my friends, hanging out and... - I have a passion for old school BMWs so I work with my uncles on fixing them and stuff and I go to BMW car shows and ja.
Tashi: What makes you love them so much?
Lerato: Because of Yizo Yizo. One of my favourite characters in it was a guy called Chester and he used to drive an old school BMW so it was through him that my love for old school BMWs came.
Tashi: Besides Yizo Yizo (and Skeem Saam of course), what's your fave TV show right now?
Lerato: isiBaya because there's so much drama and so much action. You're always intrigued when you watch the show.
Tashi: And your favourite movie of all time?
Lerato: It has to be iNumber Number because we never really get South African movies about heists and stuff like that. Action movies intrigue me so that's why it's my
favourite all-time movie.
Tashi: Do you want to go into acting as your full time career? Or cars?
Lerato: You know, with the acting, I think I could but I actually want to go behind-the-scenes because I want to do film editing and stuff.
Tashi: More so than acting?
Lerato: Ja, because I just feel like there's too much pressure right now for me so I think maybe if I can go behind-the-scenes, maybe that could work.
Tashi: What kind of pressure?
Lerato: With my peers and stuff like that - everyone expects you to act a certain way and dress a certain way and I'm not like that, I'm just a very down to earth person.
Tashi: Do they expect you to dress and be like a celebrity?
Lerato: Ja and I don't see myself as a celebrity - I just see myself as that kid they see on TV and everyone's like, "You know, why don't you drive a nice car?" "Why aren't you living in a penthouse or something?" I'm like, "Yoh! guys, I'm only 16."
I don't take this whole fame thing to the head because a lot of people fall because of that. They think, "I'm on TV - everyone likes me!" and actually they don't know that this fame could go away any second.
Tashi: If you were to release a book, what would the title be?
Lerato: The story of my life.
Tashi: What's the biggest event in your life so far?
Lerato: It was when I was four, when my parents split and I had to go live with my gran. It was very tough because my mom only found a job when I was six - she started becoming a teacher. It's been tough for her ever since because my dad doesn't really do anything for us.
My mom's always been there for us. My mom saw this talent in me and she was like," You know what, I think my daughter's going to be an actress." So she got me an agent - I've been doing this since I was five.
Tashi: What do you think people need to know about you that they don't?
Lerato: I'm very ambitious and if there's a challenge, I'm up for it.