I am Clarissa Roodt, and since I was little I had always been an entertainer. My father was a preacher in a small town called, Hopefield. I used to sing songs in front of the church whilst my mother was playing the piano. I loved the attention. Ever since I can remember I wasn’t really interested in dolls and the ‘typical girly toys’. Instead I had a million different imaginary friends – I copied the characters I liked on the television and created my own version of them in my room. When I was seven we moved to Durbanville. From grade one until three, we used to do school concerts and that was the first time I performed in front of an audience on a ‘real stage.’ I loved every second of it. To this day I still remember my grade two concert pretending to be an Egyptian in Joseph and his techni-coloured coat. In grade six I dropped out of my choir group and joined a drama academy, called Bella Arte. I received my first acting report at the end of the semester and got an ‘A’ for my onstage confidence. I think that’s what triggered me to go further in acting. As a 12-year-old I had the usual burning desire to become famous in Hollywood – that was my motivation at the time.
I was a pupil at Durbanville High. In grade eight I had to audition to be a part of the drama group. My chances were slim – they didn’t really accept grade eights into the big acting group and because I was new I had not yet earned my privilege to be a part of them. But I auditioned anyway and, miraculously, I got accepted. As the only grade eight in a group of 22 pupils I felt out of place and almost dropped out but I stuck it through and made it to the end of the year. My drama coach, Jan Burger, took me under his wing because he saw something in me that I myself couldn’t see at that time – potential. He helped me to find my ‘stage feet’; he pushed me and forced me to go beyond my comfort zone and at the end of my five years, at high school, I was a relatively well respected drama pupil known for my courage to play characters well beyond my years. People criticized him for making me play mature characters which they believed was not possible for a 17-year-old high school pupil. But as a team, we managed to cross every bridge successfully and in grade twelve I was rewarded with the Judge’s reward for my ability and courage to play strong and mature characters.
Did you study acting
There where quite a few moments in my high school years that made me decide to become a professional actor. More and more people started to recognize me as a serious actor and gently pushed me into studying it further. I was privileged to perform in two one-man-shows when I was seventeen and eighteen-years-old. These two shows gave me greater exposure that I could ever have imagined. But it wasn’t the shows that finally inspired me to study acting. It was my high school drama coach. The amount of work, time, passion and effort he put into molding me as an actor was awe inspiring. It would have felt wrong to NOT go and study acting after the five years we fought against all the criticism. So I went to go study acting for the both of us. I was accepted into the B.A. Theatre and Performance course at the University of Cape Town. The first two years of study the lectures try and break your spirit in order to see how serious you are about being a part of the industry. Many people fall in love with the ‘glamour’ of acting and the fame. So they break you – to see if you are willing to work and to work HARD. But I was stubborn. I fought back. I cried in private when it all seemed too much but I kept on going even if it meant that I had to crawl. I refused to break because that meant that all those people who criticized me and my high school coach would win. And losing was just not an option for me.
What acting technique do you use
I see myself as a Method Actor. I use my past experiences and memories to create the world of my characters. I believe that the lives of my characters should be honest and that honesty starts with you as an actor. I am also inspired by the people around me. I love observing people. It is the reality of life and the people in it that inspires me to tell their stories on the stage. As Sanford Meisner explains it: “There’s nothing as personal as what makes an actor act, and of all the personal, secret things, preparation is the most.”
What wrong impressions do actors hold about acting
The general impression about acting is that it is glamorous – the red carpet events, the Oscars, the money, the fame. But that is only a small part – if you’re lucky. For me, it is all about what happens behind the scenes. When we perform we show the audience a completed picture. We give them the lives of the characters, the costumes, the makeup, the lights, the set, the text. We make it look effortless. But what they don’t see is the amount of hours, days, weeks, we put into creating that completed picture. Acting is hard. It is a tough and brutal industry where people constantly criticize you. You are only as good as your last performance. You can be a brilliant actor but if you don’t look the part, you don’t get the part. There is constant pressure on you to look a certain way. Unfortunately, your looks is what gets you the role and only then can you show them what you’ve got as an actor. It’s a competitive industry. You have to be tough. And patient.
What acting books do you read
I recently read, The Lee Strasberg Notes, edited by Lola Cohen. He discusses his understanding around the term Method Acting and what tools an actor needs to become and to evolve as a Method Actor.
How do you keep fit as an actor
Physically I try to do 20 minutes of cardio at least five times a week. It’s important to stay fit. When your body is forced to work twelve hours a day, six days a week, it’s easier to ‘survive’ those long strenuous hours when your body is healthy and strong.
Mentally I try to keep myself grounded by drawing. I love art. When I draw my mind becomes quiet and I have a moment of peace – even if it is only for ten minutes. You have to find something that grounds you as a person. And art is my way of escaping.
When you’re offered a role, what do you do next
I read the whole script and I try to understand where my character fits within the puzzle of the story. After that I start learning my lines and create a first proposal of my character to show at the first rehearsal.
How do you take a character in a script to a honest, believable and breathing person
I replace the name of the character with my own and then I try to imagine what I would do and how I would react within the circumstances of the character’s life. Once I found a middle ground between my life and the character’s life I start to create a world for the character. Because only then can I relate to the character and her needs.
How do you stay fresh on set
It depends on the character I’m playing and the emotional world I created for them. Each character is different and requires a different level of focus and dedication. As long as you know your character well and stay in touch with the world of that character doing a scene over and over should become easier. It’s like a muscle you have to exercise.
Describe a memorable character you played
The most memorable character I played was definitely the one-man-show I did in 2011. I played, Kafka, in Kafka se Aap, written by Franz Kafka. It was translated into Afrikaans as well as directed by Jan Burger. I was eighteen at the time and doing a 45 minute production by myself was a challenge in itself. My character was a chimpanzee who forced herself to speak, think and react like a human being in order to survive. It was a difficult piece. Physically I had to walk like a chimpanzee but psychologically I had to think and feel like a human being.
Explain one creative choice you took on set
In 2014 we did a Shakespeare play, Titus Andronicus. I was playing Lucius, Titus’ son, who lead the Andronici army. The role is written for a man which meant that I had to channel a level of masculinity for my character. The style of the play was contemporary which gave me freedom to play around with the physicality of the character. I had long bright red hair at the time which made me look too feminine. But my directors, Geoffrey Hyland and Geoffrey Sitchel, liked the red hair because it suited the style of the piece. That’s when I decided to braid my hair. My hair was just below shoulder-length at the time so I decided to make the braids as long as possible. It worked beautifully for the piece. Not only did the braids give me a different energy onstage but it was also extremely heavy which helped me to access ‘masculine weight’ in my character’s physicality.
What do you want most from a director
Trust. Everything starts with trust. I need to know that the director trusts me to use my own process to develop the world of the character. And that I will do everything in my power to make the director’s vision for piece come to life. We need to be a team. The rehearsal process becomes a lot easier when the director and actor work together, combining their visions in order to create a masterpiece.
What actors do you long to work with
Anthony Hopkins
Why
As an actor he excites me. He never feels that his characters are complete, he never stops working on them. His dedication to the entertainment industry is inspiring. And you can feel the honesty in his performances. He is a beautiful actor.
What advice would you give to actors
Don’t lose your spontaneity and always follow your gut. There is a sense of beauty and honesty when an actor manages to hold onto his/her raw acting talent. Sometimes you lose the rawness of your abilities during a performance because you focus too much on the techniques you mastered. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that to study acting is a bad thing. You need to study it. You need to learn how to control your emotions and to perfect your craft. But alongside your technique you also have to be spontaneous and raw. I believe that the honesty lies within your gut, not as an actor, but as a human being.
Wounds to the Face
Briefly write about your career
In total I did eight shows during my five years in high school. But the most memorable shows where in my last two years. In 2010 I did a one-man-show called, Japie, written by André Gerber, edited and directed by Jan Burger and I played the role of Magareet van Wyk. Alongside this production I also played Ma Let, in Mooi Maria, written by Pieter Fourie and directed by Jan Burger and Amelia van Wyk. As I mentioned previously, in 2011 I played the role of Kafka in the one-man-show, Kafka se Aap, written by Franz Kafka, translated and directed by Jan Burger. As well as playing the role of Ursela, in Blomme is nie Seernie,written and directed by Jan Burger and accompanied by Amelia van Wyk. I believe these shows gave me the frame work I needed to go and study acting. They strengthened my passion for acting and made me more determined to become successful in my craft.
Funny enough, the most challenging shows during my four years of study at UCT was also during my last two years. In 2014 I played Lucius in Shakespeare’s, Titus Andronicus, directed by Geoffrey Hyland and Geoffrey Sitchel. As well as Howard Barker’s, Wounds to the Face, directed by Geoffrey Hyland and I played the roles of the Visitor, the Patriot and Prostitute 2. Tobar Riley and Godfrey Johnson introduced our class to the art of Cabaret and we devised a show called, Stranger Here Myself,
in February this year. In March I played the role of Abbie in, Begeerte, written by Eugene O’Neill and directed by Amy Jephta. I then joined the cast of, Black Dog/Inj’emnyama, as Rita, at the Baxter Flipside in June, written by
Our Country is Good
Barnie Simon and directed by Clare Stopford. Finally, I ended my senior year at UCT playing the role of Liz Morden in, Our Country Is Good, written by Timberlake Wertenbaker and directed by Geoffrey Hyland assisted by Robyn Scott. All of these shows challenged me in different ways. Each one of them taught me something new about myself, not just of what I am capable of as an actor, but also who I am as a person.
I am currently performing in an adaptation of Athol Fugard’s, People are Living There, at the Galloway Theatre, playing the role of Sissy, directed by Blythe Stuart Linger and Kathleen Stephens.
In November, this year, I start rehearsals for the musical, Die Van Aardes van Grootoor, written and directed by Pieter Dirk Uys, music by Godfrey Johnson, funded by Pieter Toerien at the Theatre on the Bay after which we will be also be performing at the MonteCasino in January 2016.
