SA-born Hollywood actress Thuso Mbedu has her feet firmly on the ground in the US, announcing that she has been named a rising star by the Toronto International Film Festival.

On Instagram on Tuesday, the The Underground Railroad actress shared that the anticipated film The Woman King will be viewed at the festival. 

“Thank you TIFF for this beautiful recognition. I look forward to learning and having an incredibly awesome time at the Toronto International Film Festival, where everyone will get to see The Woman is King for the very first time,” she wrote. 

To build hype for its official drop, the actress is enticing her followers with clips.

On Instagram early in July she shared the movie's trailer. It is set to premier in cinemas on September 16 and features Hollywood names such as Viola Davis and John Boyega, and SA actors Zozi Tunzi and Siv Ngesi.

Mbedu was recently honoured at this year's International Women of Power Awards. The star-studded event, hosted by Heirs of Afrika, celebrated powerful women.

Before the event, its organisers said Mbedu was being honoured for her strides as an actress.

“We are honoured to announce the incredible Thuso Mbedu as an honoree for the 2022 International Women of Power Awards. The South African queen is a force to be reckoned with on screen, celebrated for her incredible work in Amazon’s The Underground Railroad and receiving an International Emmy nomination for her role in the drama series Is’thunzi.