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Thuso Mbedu - “The Woman King” & Social Impact with Paramount+

Thuso Mbedu - “The Woman King” & Social Impact with Paramount+

Released Saturday, 26th November 2022
Good episode? Give it some love!
Thuso Mbedu - “The Woman King” & Social Impact with Paramount+

Thuso Mbedu - “The Woman King” & Social Impact with Paramount+

Thuso Mbedu - “The Woman King” & Social Impact with Paramount+

Thuso Mbedu - “The Woman King” & Social Impact with Paramount+

Saturday, 26th November 2022
Good episode? Give it some love!
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Episode Transcript

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0:01

You're listening to Comedy Central too,

0:05

so bid welcome to the Daily Show. I'm

0:08

excited to be here. I'm excited to have you here. This

0:10

is so amazing South African and South African look

0:13

at this, look at this. I'm

0:16

not just the South Africa South African who

0:18

is absolutely crushing it

0:20

in everything that you do. Congratulations,

0:23

congratulations on the woman King. I mean, everyone

0:25

critics nineties something on

0:28

Rotten Tomorrows. Everybody talks about it, raised

0:30

about it. It's not an easy film to watch again.

0:32

And it feels like you have the snack for

0:35

not just acting, but portraying

0:37

a person, a moment and a feeling

0:39

in time that that makes

0:41

people feel like what you do that on purpose?

0:44

Not the acting part, but do you choose a role because you go like, I'm

0:46

going to make people cry with this one. That's

0:50

funny because I'm always like back

0:53

home in South Africa, that's what I was known for, and

0:55

so I am actively resisting

0:57

roles that I, as

1:00

a character would have to cry. And

1:02

in this one, I loved the fact that Violets

1:05

violates character, tells my character

1:07

that you do not cry in

1:09

this space. Absolutely loved it because then

1:11

it means I don't have to cry. Um.

1:14

But then you know, the movie then

1:17

tells us that, um, what while

1:19

I was telling my character is not necessarily true because

1:21

it's taking away her tears means stripping

1:23

her of her humanity ultimately,

1:26

so um, but yeah, I choose

1:28

projects that I feel will

1:30

have some sort of impact. You know, we're not following

1:33

the money, we're following purpose, We're following

1:35

changing people's lives. I did drama

1:38

in high school and the university because I wanted to

1:40

use acting as a tool for social change. So

1:42

yeah, because people take for grants and how much it chake

1:45

culture, how including holding through the world

1:47

what you're doing it. This

1:49

is also a great opportunity for me and

1:52

for you and you you seized it because you know, you

1:55

kick ass in this movie literally

1:58

so like you you you fight,

2:00

yes, and you I don't know how many

2:03

martial arts did you study for that? Like you

2:05

have to go and it was like it

2:08

was however,

2:11

there was a range of different things. Um,

2:14

I got costs, I think like April ish

2:16

pre production training was starting in July,

2:19

so I put myself through more tie between

2:22

yes, yeah, actually doing Actually

2:24

you're hitting yourself with there's a there's a

2:26

video. You check it out if it still on your social

2:28

media. It's amazing because you show us the

2:31

progression. So obviously in the movie it's just you

2:33

like kicking as Papa, and

2:35

then you played the video where you start off, and it's like beating

2:40

yourself in the beginning. Why would you put yourself

2:42

through that? You know you can use your stunt double right. Okay,

2:45

wait, Gina, our director does not believe

2:47

in stunt doubles. Yes, number

2:49

one, and so part of our addition for the movie

2:52

was going through a physical and fitness

2:54

test to determine would be able

2:56

to do my own stunts or not. Yeah,

2:59

so let me like, you know how to fight? Now, I

3:01

like to believe. I

3:04

don't like you can fight. I

3:06

don't know. I don't know. We were accident

3:09

and cutting the movie.

3:11

I think you can fight. I also I also

3:13

learned from the you know, from talking to some of the people

3:15

who are involved in the movie, that you this is one

3:17

of my favorite stories from the film. Everyone

3:19

had to do. I think it was two hours of

3:22

training. Two hours of training. You

3:24

then said, no, I would like

3:26

to do three hours, an extra hour. Yeah,

3:28

okay, naturally, but

3:30

then because of that, the director was

3:33

like, that's actually a great idea. Everyone should do three

3:35

hours. It was not bad already

3:37

really read no man, guys,

3:39

no understand you know it

3:41

was we're all new too stunts and action,

3:44

and you know, I have great confidence

3:46

in the amount of time that I put into my acting, into

3:48

the research and the conversations and the rehearb

3:50

and the rehearsals, and so let's say

3:52

my acting. I was up here. I needed

3:54

my stunts to be at least,

3:57

you know, in the vicinity. But became

4:00

that kid in class. I remember I remember in school,

4:02

and you know the kids I'm talking about. You can get in that kid

4:04

in class where sometimes a lesson would end and

4:06

then the teacher will be like, okay, everybody goes, and then the bit

4:08

that kid who goes like, sir, you didn't give us

4:11

homework extra.

4:14

I mean, it came out great in the movie, but

4:17

there must have been a moment where people like Tuza Juana

4:22

come on before that.

4:24

You want to talk about the projects that you're embarking

4:26

on now, because it's one thing to perform in front

4:28

of the camera, you know, it's another to

4:30

to cement yourself in an industry. But you've

4:32

really jumped, you know, from from strength

4:35

to strength. You've got an entire production

4:37

deal with Paramount Plus now where you're gonna

4:39

be working on your own productions, which I know you're really passionate

4:42

about. I'd love to know what you would dream of

4:44

creating you could, you know, not the specific stories,

4:46

but what are you trying to create in the world where you

4:48

are the teller of the story versus just the person who's

4:50

in it. I think, more than anything, you

4:52

know, I wanna create

4:54

the stories that are innately on

4:57

us because growing up and being in this

4:59

industry, one you believe that

5:01

you can be anything until you get to the

5:03

understrand they tell you know you can't. And

5:05

so what are those stories?

5:07

And like with the Paramount Plus deal, we're

5:10

specifically focusing on health, climate,

5:12

and equity as part of their social

5:14

impact initiative and taking that

5:16

to South Africa and Africa, and so

5:18

those are stories that will

5:21

transform people's thinking because from my understanding

5:24

and from what I've experienced back home, is they're

5:27

very keen on commissioning projects that

5:29

will encourage destructive behavior

5:32

but aren't necessarily teaching people how to

5:34

transform and empower their lives and so

5:36

if we can come with

5:39

those stories that are both entertaining and

5:41

teaching people to do better and be better, then

5:43

I'm all the happier for it, because then otherwise

5:46

why are we doing this? You know? Yeah,

5:48

I really like the TechNation. It's

5:51

been beautiful to what's your journey? I've

5:54

seen you ask and do the best

5:56

and just kick ass. I've seen you kick

5:58

ass in all martial's, including yourself

6:01

and other people. Um, I truly

6:03

believe and I don't think I'll be wrong in this. You're

6:05

gonna kick ass and everything your production company,

6:07

the work you're doing in South Africa, everything you do

6:10

going forward. Thank you so much for joining me on the show. Want

6:12

to see you absolutely cos

6:14

it's farthing better everybody. What's

6:18

the Daily Show? Weeknights at eleven ten Central,

6:20

Armed Comedy Central and stream full episodes

6:22

anytime. I'll on Paramount Plus. This

6:28

has been a Comedy Central podcast

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