I saw Invictus over the holidays.  There were some very interesting things going on in the film especially how inspirational true leadership is and how sports can be a great connector across cultures.  But one thing I thought was strange about the film was how Winnie Mandela was completely absent.

Sophie Okonedo plays Mrs. Mandela in a new biopic that will air on the BBC later this month.  (I hope we can see it here in the US soon.) Her performance in the film Skin is also wonderful and will be availble on DVD soon.

She spoke with the Guardian about playing Mrs. Mandela and a host of other issues.  Here’s what she had to say about when success beckoned:

“After the Oscar nomination there were some big things mentioned. But it would have meant moving to America. And my domestic life here is set up in a way that I can’t move there unless I want to leave my daughter or something ridiculous like that, and she certainly doesn’t want to go there. Also, Los Angeles – I’m not thick-skinned enough to live there.

“And some other things here I was offered very good money for – but the parts just felt badly written. I’d be the girlfriend of someone really famous and I’d always be the same – wearing a tight dress and saying the odd slap-piece smarmy line – and I just thought, ‘First, I’m not very good at those parts anyway, and second, there are much prettier younger actresses to do them other than me!’

There Wasn’t A Moment I Didn’t Love Being Winnie (The Guardian)

• Filed Under:  
• Entertainment, Film, Feminism

• Tags:
• Actresses

View Original Post at womenandhollywood.com