Actress Nozipho Mclean fights for her place in the Big Apple

The spotlight is shining bright on SA’s very own Nozipho Mclean, who is leading her best life by acting on America’s HBO hit series Westworld. 

The actress, who was born in Johannesburg 31 years ago, has bagged her biggest role yet since her move to New York in 2013.

After graduating in 2015, Mclean persevered in her pursuit of an acting career by going straight into the belly of the beast of Hollywood.

Despite the numerous rejections she received from auditions, her desire and passion for her craft pushed her to rise above it all and build a name for herself. 

Mclean is known for her roles in Madam Secretary, Bull, The Other Two and Swipe Night and the third episode of Divorce. She was also the female lead in the film The Inheritance, which got selected at the Toronto Film Festival in 2020. 

Her rich heritage and South African background are what she believes set her apart as an actress in the American acting landscape.

What’s your relation to SA?

My mother is Xhosa from Kimberley and my father is African-American but of Caribbean descent. They met in Lesotho, where they were both on missionary work.

I was born in Johannesburg and raised in various parts of SA. When I was 14 we moved to Portugal and only came back to the motherland when I was 18 to study my undergrad. Shortly after I graduated, I came to the States.

How has your journey been in the industry?

Having started my career in the States, everything has been on a steady upward trajectory. I embarked on a journey almost 10 years ago when I did an undergrad at the University of Cape Town. Soon after I completed I chose to go to film school at the New York Academy, which prompted my move to the US. My dad also lives in New York, hence I chose it as the city to move to and study at.

I studied for two years and obtained my Master's in Acting for Film. I then took a year break and in 2016 that’s when I started with auditions. Shortly after that I got signed and started getting all the roles on television.

Why acting?

I’ve always had a love for theatre and being on stage. I used to be a dancer as a young girl in primary and high school. Seeing my sister embark on her acting journey  sort of motivated me to also want to build my name in such a space.

Coming from a creative family, there was no way I wasn’t going to follow suit.

Is Hollywood intimidating?

Yes, it is… it’s not easy breaking through as many actors have families who have great knowledge of Hollywood and how to go about making your mark or securing your spot.

Others have been groomed at an early age to take up roles in Hollywood, so the competition is quite stiff because I am in a realm of people who grew up here and were granted opportunities to study at art school since they were young.

So, for me it’s just a matter of being resilient and finding a way to set myself apart from the rest of the crop that’s looking to build their names in Hollywood.  

What has been your biggest highlight?

Bagging a role in the Indie film The Inheritance, which I shot in 2019 and got a release in 2020. It was selected at the Toronto Film Festival.  That was a big highlight for me as it was able to showcase my talent on a larger scale.

How is it like role-playing Uwade on Westworld?

It being a bigger role than I’ve done proves my growth in the acting space. Interestingly, I tend to be cast in maternal roles, which I believe speaks to my persona.  

Despite Uwade being a mother, she also plays to societal resistance against the powers that be. She ends up being the leading force that goes against injustices and dark powers.

With my mother being South African and my father being African-American, they’ve respectively had to fight for their place in the world, so I sort of channel that energy and vision when playing Uwade.  

What’s your next move?

To become a well-known name in the American acting world and maybe feature in a South African production because the world is looking at Africa at the moment, which is super cool.