Local actress scoops Top Actor SA award
Reiger Park resident Altovise Lawrence (24), has been crowned the winner of Top Actor SA, the brand-new BET (Black Entertainment TV) local reality show.
“When my name was announced my body was frozen,” said Lawrence.
“I remember looking at Nicholas (one of the contestants) and he confirmed it by nodding his head and hugging me. Only then did it seem real for me.”
The winner, who was selected by a judging panel, was announced at the beginning of June, during the filming of the reunion episode for the hit reality show.
The competition saw 12 upcoming actors from different backgrounds come together and go through various challenges that put their acting abilities to the ultimate test.
Contestants were judged by South African and international heavyweights and, by the end of each episode, a contestant was eliminated from the competition.
Lawrence has lived in Reiger Park all her life. She attended Boksburg High School and, after completing Grade 12, in 2008, she enrolled for an engineering degree at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
After only a year, she deregistered and applied for a BA degree in Dramatic Art at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS).
She stuck to her guns and graduated in 2014 with an Honours degree in her field.
As it was Lawrence’s first time entering a competition of this nature and walking away as the winner, she definitely lived up to her motto, which reads: ”The only way out, is through”.
“I did not expect to actually walk away with the title. It is only when I made it to the top three that I thought I stood a pretty good chance,” she said.
”I’ve never won anything related to the film and television industry, but I did win tickets to see Kanye West in concert, which was another mind-blowing experience.”
Since taking part in the competition, Lawrence has fallen in love with the craft all over again.
She has also received a lot of exposure and covered the DSTV Delicious Festival for BET (currently airing on BET 129 and BET2 135).
Lawrence has recently started enjoying reading again, but other than that she loves going out to watch theatre productions and films, writing and creating with people and working with those younger than herself.
“Over and above all else, I’ve met amazing artists who inspire me and who I would love to work with,” she said.
“I’ve enjoyed the hardships of the competition, even during the times I struggled and battled with something, or I questioned my acting choices, and even when I doubted myself. ‘
”All of this moulded me and forced me to face myself and to become a better artist.”
Her personal duty as the winner is to go out and make art.
