(For part 2 please scroll down to view the new addition to this article)

Katlego Danke is a rare breed of ‘celebrity’. She is one of the remaining few in this era of tabloid craze who seems to fully grasp what it means to let your work do the ‘work’ for you whilst you keep your private business where it ought to be – in private. It’s always a welcome privilege to get a sneak peek into the life of a person who guards it so dearly, so understandably, I jumped at the opportunity to have a chat with Katlego without a second thought.  And it was well worth it. Beautiful, talented, and refreshingly unassuming, this diva is a deserving power player in today’s SA Entertainment scene.

You’re unquestionably one of the biggest stars on Generations at the moment and have been for a while now. Was it always a dream to be on it?

Thank you. It’s always good to know you’re appreciated outside of your work space. Getting to act on Generations just came through at the right time for me. But working on it is definitely a dream come true.

I always think when you play a role for so long you end up morphing that character with who you really are. How much of Dineo, if any, is in you now?

The only thing I have in common with Dineo is her drive and passion to achieve her career goals. And I most times share her fashion sense as well. Everything else is quite different. Particularly her outlook on men.

Yes, Dineo and her many ‘men’ make for quite some interesting viewing. She’s been involved in some very fascinating and sometimes pretty bizarre storylines. Do you ever get the script and think ‘Really!?’

Yes absolutely. Sometimes I am a bit shocked at the direction that the scriptwriters choose to take with her but I guess it’s all in a day’s work for any actor. We learn to get our brains around it and keep working to make it as believable as possible for the viewer. And once I get to play the storylines and they are on screen I get to fully appreciate the great creative vision of the writers. I think audiences sometimes forget that there is a team of scriptwriters behind all the juicy stories they see on-screen.

Sometimes I am a bit shocked at the direction that the scriptwriters choose to take with her but I guess it’s all in a day’s work for any actor. 

Speaking of your audience, sometimes people have a problem differentiating fact from fiction. Do you find sometimes people have a hard time differentiating Katlego from Dineo?

I find that people often call me by Dineo but they soon realize that me and her are quite different. It’s always amusing to watch someone’s reaction when they realize that it’s not Dineo that they are talking to. But I’m also quick to remind people that I’m Katlego and not Dineo because I’m an actress and have played many roles. I also find it schizophrenic to have to answer to a fictious name so I’d rather keep it real with the fans.

Most soapie actors/actresses worry they might not be able to shake off a role once they decide to leave and pursue something else. Do you ever worry about that?

Generations is an extremely successful and widely watched production. The audience ratings are unrivaled in this country and by virtue of that it’s always hard to shake off the characters as an actor. People will always remember you as that character for years after leaving the soap and I think it’s inevitable really. So I don’t worry about it. I’m an actor first and any role I play second. The question is always how well will you pull off the next role since as the old adage goes: an actor is only as good their last performance.

When you’re on a show as huge as Generations is, it’s standard that millions of people will know you and will undoubtedly sometimes act very familiar when they meet you in person. What’s the craziest encounter you’ve ever had with a fan?

I’ve had a fan completely ignore the person I was sitting with and insist on telling me that he knows me. Complete with a full story as to who he knows who knew me a long time ago and therefore he knows me. It was quite a funny moment especially as I had never seen him before in my life.

Oh – and there’s another one when I went shopping for my friend’s bachelorette party. I was in a store looking at lingerie when I heard a lady say “hello Dineo, I’m so happy to finally meet you.” I then asked for a particularly sexy piece of lingerie in a different size to mine to which she replied “oh sorry it’s sold out in that size. So… are you entertaining?” I was gob smacked and could only laugh in response.

When was the moment you realized you’d made it as an actress?

I was sitting on my friends couch watching TV and just relaxing a few weeks after we had graduated. We exchanged stories about becoming stage hands at a theatre if we didn’t get jobs when my phone rang. It was my agent. I had gotten a job at Backstage to play Keketso on a call basis for three months. A wave of emotion washed over me. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. Having gotten that audition meant that I was working in the industry I so love. I wasn’t going to be a stagehand behind the scenes at a theatre somewhere. I was actually going to do what I’m passionate about and what feeds my soul. That was the day I realized I had made my dream come true.

You’ve shared the screen with a lot of the industry’s finest. Who’re you absolute favourites?

I’ve been very blessed to have shared the screen with some phenomenal actors. My favorites are Vusi Kunene, the incredibly talented Camilla Waldman, Seputla Sebogodi, just to name a few. I always allow every experience with any other actor to increase my knowledge and passion in acting so I do believe that in every actor I’ve performed with I found something worthwhile to experience.

Tell me a little bit about Katlego at home. What do you do to unwind after a long day of shooting or on your day off?

I find time to be alone and to catch up on my reading and my spirituality. It’s the most precious time I have and I really enjoy it. I also catch my favourite TV shows from time to time. Shows like Greys Anatomy I never miss. I do enjoy watching movies too but I’m a homebody so the couch is my ultimate favourite place for movie watching.

You’re an extremely private person.  Is this a conscious decision you made getting into showbiz or was this something you had to learn once you got in?

It was a consequence of being a private person naturally. Even growing up I kept a lot to myself. I suppose art was an outlet for me to explore the full breadth of who I am. But it’s a value I hold very dear. I’ve learnt that this industry can be quite difficult if you allow the public in your life. It’s a fine balance though.

But is your life really as drama free as it looks. We never hear anything about you anywhere at all – most especially the tabloids. How do you manage that?

Like I said, I am intensely private and keep to myself mostly. I’m most comfortable in my own company and I guess I also understand the responsibility that comes with being a public figure. I do however live my life to the fullest and I too make mistakes.

Don’t you worry sometimes though that being so private will have a negative effect on your power of ‘celebrity’ or relevance?

Fortunately for me I’m not in this industry to amass fame. I do what I do because I’m answering a deep desire within me to make a difference in the world using my art. I just believe that my talent and my work will speak for me. The same was true of Janet Jackson a few years ago. For many years of her career, in fact at the height of her career, we knew nothing about her personal life. It is not necessarily true that if people don’t hear about you then they don’t care.

I do what I do because I’m answering a deep desire within me to make a difference in the world using my art.

This reminds me of an incident that inspired me to want to change the lives of young people for the better. I once tweeted that ‘What other people say about you is none of your business’ and I was disturbed to hear a young person respond that ‘if people are not talking about you then you are irrelevant and you don’t exist’ . This statement truly broke my heart. It worried me to know that there’s a perception out there that you need to be spoken about to be relevant. That without others acknowledgement and approval then you cease to exist as a human being. This is what drives young people to sometimes do self-endangering things in the name of wanting to be relevant and seeking approval from others. I don’t have that need. Whether in my work or personal life. I truly wish young people could have the self-confidence and courage to be whoever they choose to be without fear of being called irrelevant.

You seem like such a lady, in every sense of the word.  Have you always been that way?

Thank you, I always laugh when people say that. Only because I grew up as a tomboy of note, climbing trees with the boys and all. I only really blossomed into my womanhood quite late in the game when all my peers were already wearing makeup and had three-step beauty routines. I’d say the lady in you is sometimes a reflection of the mother-figure in your life (my mom is incredibly graceful and a true lady) and also just your gentle but strong feminine voice that resonates within you. I’ve also learned many lessons from the characters I’ve played on how to be a lady.

Are you where you thought you’d be at this stage in your life?

I don’t think anyone can truly map out where they’d like to be at any one point in life. We all have grande plans and wishes and dreams and they are absolutely necessary in the journey of life but to reach them a little bit of serendipity is involved. And that right there along with the curve balls is life in all its glory.

But have you fully grown into yourself, do you think?

I believe growth is a continuous thing. I’m a work in progress and learning more about myself at every turn and with every challenge. Life is indeed a beautiful thing.

If you were to have a chat with your 15 year old self, what would you tell her?

I would tell her that the world is truly a big place where literally any dream can come true. All you need to do is believe in the dream, in yourself and your abilities to achieve whatever you put your mind to. I would tell her that childhood is truly a magical and carefree time and to enjoy it thoroughly. I would also tell her to cherish the friendships she makes in high school. Those are the ones that will stand the true test of time and last into adulthood.

Part 2 

What are the greatest life lessons you’ve learnt in your transition into womanhood?

I’ve learnt that other people’s opinions of you do not matter one bit. You are who you say you are, who you feel you are and who you choose to be. And no one can change that or take it away.

And if you were given the opportunity for a do over on any one thing in your life up to this point is there anything you would do differently?

I wouldn’t change a single thing. All the Challenges that have come served to equip me for other situations in the future and all the positive experiences have helped to add colour to the journey. I am where I am in life because of the sum total of all the experiences and choices I’ve made. I also don’t believe that people should have regrets. There’s a famous quote whose origin and author I forget but I truly believe in it and I try my best to live by it. It goes: “As we grow older, it’s not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn’t do.” This quote helps me live my life to the fullest and also reminds me that anything is possible.

Of all your achievements to date, which one are you the most proud of?

I’m most proud of the positive impact i think I have on the young people who take their lives and careers seriously enough to equip themselves with the knowledge they need to succeed. That for me is a great achievement. Nothing feels better than making a difference in other people’s lives.

Speaking of these young people you have inspired and continue to inspire; Acting is a very difficult industry to break into but there are a lot of young people out there who would give anything to do so. What advice would you give them?

My advice to them starts with a journey to self. What is it really you want to do with your life? To truly interrogate that for yourself and ask yourself some real questions especially about the true reason that you want to act. The reason is very simple. When you are doing what you love, what you’ve been called on earth to do then success and happiness in your career will follow naturally. Sometimes we have things backwards as people. We tend to look for the final product which is success and happiness and forget to ask where the journey began and the hard work it took to get there. The next step is to gain the knowledge necessary to achieve the dream you want. As an actor I never stop gaining more and more knowledge about my craft. It’s a continuous process that one has to commit to if you are entering into the entertainment industry. It’s a highly competitive environment and the best way to survive is to commit yourself to continuous growth and self-development. I would also advise them to be open to doing anything and be versatile. It’s a huge industry with many job opportunities. Those that survive are those that can be versatile.

And once they’ve broken in, how do they manage to stay in and gain the stability that so many of the people in the industry struggle to get?

I feel that staying true to yourself and focused on your goals is of ultimate importance.  And always remember the reason you are doing what you do. The breath that gave life into your passion in the first place

There is always talk about how getting an education first is a must before pursuing an acting career but a lot of the young people out there don’t really seem to understand why? Is education really a necessity in the industry?

I feel so passionately about this question. Thank you for asking it- it is really important. The workforce in the industry as it is at the moment is mostly unskilled partly because it’s a new and developing industry but also due to the fact that that’s the way things have been for a long time. It has never been necessary to get training to get a job in the industry. This also leads to the impression held by the general public that the industry is not to be taken seriously.  The industry is also not regulated so it is very hard to achieve certain standards of quality. But all of this can change if the people who work within the industry take themselves and the industry itself seriously. First thing would be to take their craft -it could be sound and lighting design, costume design, makeup art or directing or acting etc- by getting the knowledge necessary to truly excel at your chosen occupation. This will also help to develop the industry so that it can grow and compete with the likes of Hollywood.

Acting is an art. It is multilayered and when you study it you finally comprehend just how intricate it is. And that it’s not as easy as it looks. One would never be operated on by a surgeon who just walked in off the street without qualification no matter how naturally talented he or she is so why do we think it’s acceptable to have uneducated entertainers. A lecturer of mine at UCT once told us that success is 10% talent and 90% hard work and dedication. I think that is very true. Knowledge is never redundant.

Are they some things you wish you’d been told about the industry when you started out that you know now?

I wish I’d been told the true impact of being a public figure. No one can prepare you for the lack of privacy you have even when shopping and having dinners with friends. We also work some crazy hours so that takes a toll on your family life and your life as a whole.

 Thank you so much for your time Katlego. Any final words to our divas?

Be true to yourself in all you do. Live your life fully at all times and with absolute abandon. This is not a dress rehearsal- its lights camera action time!

By: Jo Kanengoni 

Photography by: Werner Prinsloo @prinsWerner @Nineteen86Photo