Litlhonolofatso Litlhakanyane’s performance in the film Bird Boy has earned him the best actor award at the recent Issni N’ourgh Amazigh Film Festival (Finifa) in Morocco.
Litlhakanyane, who originally hails from Kutlwanong, Odendaalsrus, in Free State, starred in the movie with local film legend and fellow Free Stater, Tony Kgoroge and Hollywood actress Tea Leoni, who appeared alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys, as well as starring alongside Jim Carrey in Fun with Dick and Jane.
He also stars as Tebello on eTV’s Scandal!
Litlhakanyane admits that he was intimidated by Kgoroge and Leoni, but they quickly made him feel at home. In the movie, which was shot in Cape Town but is yet to hit cinema screens in South Africa, Litlhakanyane plays August, Kgoroge and Leoni’s adopted son who befriends an ostrich called Kobus. His performance was enough to earn him the best actor award.
“I am happy with the award, but I must confess that I was intimidated by being in the presence of giants like Ntate Kgoroge and Mme Leoni. These are people I used to watch on TV and now I was working with them. It was scary, but I am grateful for the experience. They took me under their wing and made me feel comfortable. They were quite playful on the set,” said Litlhakanyane.
The 16-year-old Grade 10 pupil said that while he appreciates the accolades that come with acting, he intends to further his studies upon completion of matric.
“I will study aviation because I really want to become a pilot. I also want to study law, so I am stuck between the two, but I might pursue them both. Acting is my passion, so I will continue to act because I love it,” he said.
His mother, Palesa, said she was proud of her son’s achievements and hopes to see him achieve even greater things in life.
On how the son earned the role, the mother said the producers saw his work on Scandal! and they liked him and gave him the role.
“It is fulfilling to see him doing so well because he was a shy child growing up, and I never thought he would want to become an actor,” she said.
Premier of the Free State MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae said the province is proud to have young people like Litlhakanyane putting it on the map.
“It is wonderful to see young people like young Litlhonolofatso going after their dreams and defying all the odds stacked against them. As the people of the Free State province, we are incredibly proud of him,” said Letsoha-Mathae.
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