No time for rest! Katie Holmes battles jet lag to get straight to work on The Giver set after jetting in from New York

PUBLISHED: 11:49 EST, 21 November 2013 | UPDATED: 22:54 EST, 21 November 2013

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International travel is not easy at the best of times.

But when you are spending just a few days in a location before jetting off again, it does your body clock no favors.

Katie Holmes is currently getting more than her fair share of jet lag as she journeys back and forth to from New York to South Africa.

Hard work: Katie Holmes battled jet lag on set in Cape Town, South Africa, on Wednesday

The star has been making the grueling flight - which takes a minimum of 18 hours - regularly so she can spend time with daughter Suri, seven, on the weekends but still be back to film her new movie The Giver during the week.

The 34-year-old struggled to stop yawning as she emerged from hair and makeup on the Cape Town set on Wednesday.

While she was about to step in front of a camera, the Thank You For Not Smoking star seemed like she was having trouble just putting one foot in front of the other.

Chatting to the production crew, the actress looked over some addition lines as she shuffled along in a long white robe that she wore over a pair of grey pants and grey T-shirt.

Oops: The star was so tired she dropped something and tried awkwardly to pick it up

The lack of colour in her costume was on purpose as in the the film the dystopian society Katie's character belongs to does not let people see in colour in order to make everything equal.

While clearly tired - the star even dropped something she was so distracted - Katie looked good with the hair and makeup team freshening her up and styling her brown locks into perfect curls.

The star certainly looked different from when she stepped off the plane the day before.

Work comes first: While yearning, the 34-year-old still headed off to film her scene, shuffling along in a long white robe that she wore over a pair of grey pants and grey T-shirt

Work comes first: While yawning, the 34-year-old still headed off to film her scene, shuffling along in a long white robe that she wore over a pair of grey pants and grey T-shirt

With not a spot of makeup on and with her locks hardly brushed, she looked like she was far from ready for her closeup.

Poorly fitting jeans and a nondescript sweater didn't help elevate her appearance.

The dressed down look was a sharp contrast to her cover girl look she proudly showed off in Manhattan just three days earlier.

Not red-carpet ready: Katie Homes looked unusually made under as she walked through an airport in Africa on Tuesday

Not red-carpet ready: Katie looked unusually made under as she walked through an airport in Africa on Tuesday

Don't mess with her!: The 34-year-old doesn't seem up for conversation

With groomed hair and nicely applied lip gloss and eye makeup, she sparkled.

But on Tuesday there was not a bit of magic going on after she touched down from a 7,800 mile trek from New York City.

Even her mood could have used some repair.

While carrying bags as she made her way through the building, she wore a tough expression making it seem like she was not enjoying her day.

Well, it was a long flight: The former Mrs. Cruise came into Cape Town from New York City, which is 7,800 miles away

But work comes first for the star on The Giver, which is based on the controversial best-selling novel by Lois Lowry.

The book, and now the film, tells the story about a society which has gone to great - and sinister - extremes to make everything equal and peaceful.

The science fiction film is based around Jonas (played by Brenton Thwaites), who learns of the real world outside his idyllic life. Katie plays his mother, while True Blood star Alexander Skarsgard portrays his father.

The children's novel initially created controversy with many criticising on the inappropriateness of the subject matter for children.