Charlene Le Roux, one of South Africa’s most loved actresses and radio anchors, has played characters such as Nina Richter in Suidooster, Martha Koopman in Griekwastad and more recently, Yvette Ross on kykNET’s Arendsvlei. While we might know, love, loathe and relate to each of those fictional characters, in reality, we wondered how well we actually knew the go-getting, bubbly actress who portrays each of them. We were lucky enough to catch up with Charlene for a quick virtual cup of coffee to discuss her professional career and exciting upcoming roles.
Where it all started
Charlene can be considered one of those lucky ones who found her life’s passion early on. Although she had a few fleeting moments of wanting to become a marine biologist when she was younger, once the acting bug bit, it just never went away. She started out taking part in various stage productions while at primary school, and as her love for the arts grew, she continued on that path and enrolled at the University of Cape Town after matriculating to study drama.
Once graduated, her journey was slow and acting roles were few and far between. At that time, her look was quite unique, and not necessarily what the industry was looking for. However, as the years went by and people became more interested in casting more ‘natural’ characters, her drama roles started picking up. When speaking about this initial start to her acting career, Charlene says, “It came to a point where production houses and audiences alike wanted to start seeing themselves being represented more and more on film and TV – this is where more auditioning opportunities started opening up. It was an exciting time for the industry, as this is where our stories were finally being told.”
Her most challenging role
She has played numerous roles in the past, but when asked about the character she most identified with, she says it is that of her current role of Yvette Ross. Like Yvette’s character, Charlene is also a mother and an active member of the community she lives in. Coincidentally, the role of Yvette is also the most challenging role that she has ever played. Unlike Yvette, Charlene has never experienced losing a child in real life, so portraying Yvette’s heartbreaking emotions when she finds her daughter was a real test. Charlene says “I had to delve deeply, step into someone else’s shoes in order to realistically bring out all those raw emotions that I have never experienced. What a challenge it was, but it was so rewarding to tell such an important story.”
Over the years, Charlene has worked with quite a few fellow South African artists. These include working with Arnold Vosloo on the movie Griekwastad which went onto win Best Feature Film at the SAFTA’s. As far as live theatre performances goes, she’s worked with Basil Appollis and the late Shaleen Surtie-Richards, to name a few. When asked about working with international artists in the future, her wishlist includes Charlize Theron, Robert De Niro, Chris Hemsworth and Meryl Streep.
She works in radio too
Charlene’s entry into the world of radio was a serendipitous one. The programming manager at CapeTalk 567 at the time overheard her doing some in-store announcements. He asked her to come into studio for an on-air test and the rest, as they say, is history. When asked what medium she loves most – TV or radio – she says you cannot compare the two, as both are very different. She says, “It’s like having two children, they are so different in so many ways, but you love them both equally.” You can catch her reading the traffic live on CapeTalk 567 on weekdays between 3pm and 6pm, or catch her live on air in-store on PEP Radio over the weekends.
In case you were wondering about her daily routine, there isn’t one she says. “Every day is different as not only do filming schedules change, but the artists I work with and scenes I have to shoot are never the same.” What remains constant, though, are her daily traffic reports, but then again, not one traffic report is the same either.
As a role model in the industry, we asked her what advice she would like to give young people who would like to pursue a career in the arts, she said, “It is hard work, but you need to persevere. If you have a passion for telling stories, then this is for you, and remember, when you are starting out, there are no small roles.” We also asked her where she sees herself in five years’ time, and even though Covid has taught her to live in the here and now, she would still love to feature in a Hollywood movie sometime in her life.
Her latest upcoming role
Just going about her life with a ‘can-do’ attitude, and with one exciting venture after the other, we know that that this is only just the beginning for Charlene and her professional acting career. What is most exciting in the upcoming months is that she will feature in Season 2 of Blood & Water, which is a South African Netflix original series – so do keep an eye out for that. The series won Best TV Drama at the 2021 South African Film and Television Awards.
We thanked Charlene for enjoying a virtual cup of coffee with us, and she left us with these parting words, “At the end of the day, just do what makes you happy.”
Be sure to follow Charlene on Instagram and Facebook for her latest updates. To check out her professional profile, click here.
