She starred in Zimbabwe’s first-ever film to be acquired by Netflix, and now Tendaiishe Chitima has made her Hollywood debut alongside How to Get Away with Murder actress Viola Davis.
Chitima, 34, plays the small role of Agent Lane in the new Amazon Prime movie G20, which also stars Marsai Martin and Anthony Anderson.
She was star-struck by legendary actress Davis, she says
“We were in the same scene together. It was between scenes, she looked at me and said something about her feet hurting and I froze and just stared at her. I didn’t even say anything, my words were not coming out,” Chitima told the Sunday Times.
“Marsai is super amazing. It’s interesting when you meet people you’ve been seeing for a long time on TV. She’s so calm and humble. We were talking about her productions and what she wants to do. It was inspiring with her and other people, like Anthony Anderson. I learnt about discipline, and showing up as the best that you can at all times. There’s a level of excellence, and learning to collaborate with people.
“I think the lesson there is that every little thing that you are doing counts. Every small thing can become big.”
The movie, which was filmed in South Africa, portrays terrorists trying to take over the Group of 20 summit. Davis plays the US president, who uses her leadership experience and military skills to defend her family and save the world.
Chitima was not initially cast in the film, until director Patricia Riggen interacted with her during a “table read” — a pre-production activity in which the director, actors and other key crew members gather around a table to read through the script aloud. Though Riggen had already chosen her cast, she created a role for Chitima.
“I had been in Cape Town for a few months and I was struggling to get work. I was couch surfing. It was bad. I told myself I was not leaving without speaking to the director.
“It was just maximising every opportunity, because you never know when opportunities will come to your door.
While she is no stranger to movie sets, being on an international one was an entirely different experience.
“There’s someone paying attention to every detail. Like my hair colour for that movie, there was a whole meeting. It’s like a whole machine of hundreds of people working on these projects. And that was mind-blowing. The professionalism, the excellence, was beyond what I’ve experienced.
“I only had a few lines, but I had an accent coach because I was supposed to be American. Even though they didn’t show me using a gun in the end, I had a weapons training session as well. So even if you’re playing a small role, there is still attention to detail. It has to be perfect.”
Chitima’s journey to stardom began with her studies in drama at the University of Cape Town. She starred in the Zimbabwe Netflix movie Cook Off and the upcoming movie Spirit, among others.
After building a successful career in South Africa, Chitima moved back to Zimbabwe, determined to contribute to the growth of the country’s industry.
“G20 is my first international film and gives me a lot of hope that I’m going to get more. I’ve always wanted to work across the world, travelling and meeting amazing people — somehing challenging and out-of-the-box and big.”
She hopes to work in a variety of genres, including sci-fi, fantasy and action movies. “My goal is to be a versatile actor who can act in anything.”
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