The end of a chapter marks the beginning of another
What was meant to have been a 3-month acting stint on one of the biggest and most watched soapies in South Africa, quickly culminated to the most memorable and impactful 3 years of her acting career. Friday, 22 November 2019 marked the last day millions of viewers will see Lerato on SABC’s 1 Generations: The Legacy, a character that has been a huge part of Candice Modiselle over the years.
Following the airing of her last episode the actress made the announcement via her social media, thanking her followers, supporters fans of the show for their unwavering support throughout her journey as Lerato.
Following her exit, Candice gives insights on character, captured moments from her last day and what the future holds.
Lerato has been a big part of your daily life for the past 3 years, what have you enjoyed most about her character?
The greatest pleasure that came with playing Lerato is watching her constantly evolve, the unfolding of her coming of age story, and the people she engaged with along the way.
Lerato character went through a lot of challenges which simulate real life everyday struggles for many young girls, not just in South Africa but Africa as a whole, would you agree?
Definitely! Many young girls can relate to the struggles she faced and the hurdles she had to overcome. Her story has many universal themes from silly crushes, young love, struggles with identity, escapism and coping mechanisms through peer pressure, to the desires for a sense of belonging.
A lot of characters on the show have had they fair share of being either on the positive or negative receiving end by the shows fans, how do you think your character faired in comparison?
The viewers were taken on a love-hate trajectory with the character, that I would hope not only entertained them but also imparted lessons of resilience, ambition, courage and love on those who she touched.
How did the rest of the Generations family contribute to you as an actress and being able to deliver the best Lerato you could?
Every single actor gave Lerato the wind beneath her wings to soar. It’s been such a blessing to work with some of Africa’s most celebrated formidable storytellers to give life to this fictional character that the world now knows as ‘Lerato Matema’.
Your fans have had the pleasure of seeing you almost everyday on their screens, you’re your days as a presenter on YoTV, Generations and Mzansi Magic’s Impilo: The Scam. What’s next for Candice?
I plan on leaving no stone unturned. Though I will be taking a slight break from acting to focus on my youth skills development company, Busetsa Media, traveling the country giving various workshops, I hope to make a return to theatre, devise my own work, venture into the big screen and all avenues of the arts and storytelling industry.
Well there you have, fans can rest assured knowing they haven’t seen the last of Candice Modiselle. The year 2020 will bring with it some amazing project for the young creative, both on and off the screen.
