Feature Story A Remarkable Odyssey After playing a major role in the recent blood diamond movie, local beauty, Benu Mabhena, is one of Hollywood’s newest rising stars. March 2007

by Benu Mabhena, with Bessie Mabhena

The experiences I’ve had in my life have lead to the conviction that almost nothing good happens to us apart from persistence that is fueled by hope. My family is from Zimbabwe, but for the past two decades our family home has been in Antioch. My parents gave me the African name Thubelihle. Now I’m a Hollywood actress, with the stage name Benu Mabhena. This year I had my first big break landing the role as one of the main characters in the movie Blood Diamond.

My road into a career as an actress wasn’t an easy one, but a real hero has inspired me. My mom does in-home care in Antioch for a severely disabled 14-year-old young man named Conner Horsfield. Conner’s degenerative muscular disease has rendered him incapable of walking so he is confined to a wheelchair, and requires a ventilator to breathe. Conner has a brilliant mind, however, and most of all he has a positive attitude towards life. He intends to graduate from Berkeley and plans one day to become a CEO of a large company. Neither he nor his dad can see Conner’s deformities. They focus upon his abilities not his disabilities.

He’s a good example for all of us.

Moving Towards Freedom

When I was two years old my family was chased out of Zimbabwe by the political unrest and civil warfare that has been running rampant through the country ever since its independence from British rule.

I don’t remember Zimbabwe before independence, when it was still referred to as Rhodesia. Even though independence opened the door to constant warfare and killing, no black African would wish to return to the old days, when “colored” people were forced to remain on their own side of a line that was drawn through the middle of Rhodesian society. White people were permitted to go to the front of any queue ahead of all the non-whites. We weren’t allowed to ride some of the buses nor were we permitted to shop in many of the stores. Only white people could go inside and actually inspect the products in some stores as they shopped. Black people were forced to go to a special window in the back and place their order, which would then be passed through the window to them as they waited outside.

My mom was a nurse and my dad was a marketing consultant. They were forced to live in a four-room shack, no running water, with an outhouse in back. That was what middle-class life in Rhodesia was like for black people.

Following independence we became equal with the whites. My parents were in England at the time and returned to Zimbabwe in the hope that independence would improve the quality of life for citizens of the country. Unfortunately, ongoing tribal conflicts erased all the advantages that our freedom should have brought to us.

My parents moved to South Africa where Dad got a job managing a brewery in Lesotho. But since they weren’t citizens they were always treated as second-class citizens.

We always regarded America as a land of freedom and opportunity. We were members of a Seventh Day Adventist Church and through the American Embassy in South Africa, we got into contact with a Seventh Day Adventist Church in Concord, who sponsored our immigration to America.

The good people in that church were wonderful! They took care of us and showed us around. They helped my mom get a job in one of the local hospitals and helped us kids get into school. My family quickly became financially independent and in 2000 we were able to buy the Antioch property where my mom and siblings still reside.

I felt responsible as one of the older children in my family and would assist my mom in taking care of my brothers and sisters, helping with cooking, cleaning, and nurturing the others. We children attended the Pleasant Hill Junior Academy and in the eleventh grade I became a student at the Rio Lindo Adventist Academy.

I have always been interested in music, and perform songs of my own composition. My older brother, Zwelithini, taught me how to compose music. I do Hip-Hop and R&B. My friend and I recently finished an album.

Budding Actress

My real passion always lay with acting. When I was eight years old, living in Botswana, I would do impressions that would annoy my siblings and make my mom laugh. By the time I was 12 years old, I knew that when I grew up I wanted to be in movies. The other kids would tease me about this, but one of my teachers, Mrs. Wallace, used to tell me, “You are a special girl!” Mrs. Wallace believed in me and in my dreams. She helped me believe in myself.

Another teacher, Mrs. Caviness, gave me opportunities to develop my talents as a performer. Each year she would put on a major production, called the Chautauquan Plum, which provided a venue for students to perform in front of audiences.

Most of the kids would read a passage by some classical poet like Shakespeare or Poe. I didn’t want to recite a poem; I wanted to act! I would perform some role like the Lady of Shalott. I once did a performance as a homeless beggar, playing a character who didn’t have a place to sleep or good clothes, but who had come to profound insights about the nature of life. Even though I had never taken classes, I discovered in that high school auditorium that I could express my emotions. I would dress up in full costume and work hard to get my character just right. I was teaching myself to get into a role before I knew what I was doing. I was performing monologues before I knew what the word meant.

I remember that my mother would be amazed by the transformations that I could undergo when I was in a role. “It was like your character was real!” she would say. Those early experiences reinforced within me a strong ambition to turn my passion into a career.

Mom was glad to have me do anything with my life, as long as I first went to college. I joined the Drama Club while attending Diablo Valley College. I got a degree in Education, handed it to my mom, and left for Hollywood without even attending the graduation.

My brother took me to Hollywood. I checked into a hotel, he left for home, and I began walking up and down Hollywood Boulevard searching for agents and casting calls.

A harsh reality of the motion picture industry is that the big movie studios — and even the independents — aren’t waiting with open arms to embrace unknown people who want to become movie stars. However, I was driven! No matter how hard it would be to become an actress, I wasn’t going to go home.

I soon ran out of money and reached bottom when I was living out of my automobile. I kept my homeless condition a secret from my family because I knew my mom would come get me if she found out. During part of the time I lived in a Santa Monica women’s shelter.

I eventually got into a transitional home with some good people who helped me land a job. I am a Certified Nursing Assistant so I got a job taking care of an elderly woman in a convalescent home. I ended up living for a year in a room near the Silver Lake/Echo Park area.

Three years after moving to Hollywood I was still searching for my dream. I’m a person of faith. One thing that sustained me during this time was the belief that this is what I was supposed to be doing. I never felt that I was alone or abandoned.

I found an agency and began appearing in commercials. I was in ads for AT&T and Curves. Plus I was in the Anheuser-Busch “Welcome Home Troops” ad that was shown in the 2006 Super Bowl. Some people think this is the greatest ad ever made. If you ever see it, I was one of the people waving with others at the troops as they walked through an airport. (You have to look quick.)

First Chance

I finally went to my agent, “Why won’t you sign me theatrically?” I asked. He agreed and my first audition was for the role of Jessie Vandy in Blood Diamond. This is the now-familiar Warner Brothers movie about white people who were involved in the African diamond trade; it is based on a true story. The producers were looking for someone to play the part of wife to one of the main characters, Solomon.

“This is your opportunity,” somebody at the agency told me. “Nail this one and it will be so good for your career!” I put my heart and soul into that audition. I was at a low point in my life, without money to pay for rent, utilities, or gas for my car. I didn’t have a quarter in my pocket and had been eating meals at a friend’s house.

The tryout was in a Warner Brother’s office with Victoria Thomas, who was the movie’s casting agent. Several other women were sitting on chairs waiting for their turns. Casting agents were sitting at desks and answering phones.

My turn came and I went into the room to meet Victoria, who is a small-framed no-nonsense woman. I remember how my heart sank when I saw her holding my folder and studying my picture and resume.

“She’s going to see that I don’t have experience,” I thought. Then I fortified my spirits by thinking, “This just means that I have to be really good.”

“I know I haven’t done much…,” I began to say, but she cut me off in the middle of the sentence.

“Let’s see what you have.”

She gave me a section from the screenplay with my character’s lines in it. I began reading the script, but she stopped me again.

“Do it in your language,” she said.

I am fluent in Zulu, Sisutu, and Xhosa, so I read the script again, translating it into Zulu. I think my being an African gave me an inside track over African Americans. I can easily sound like I’m from Africa.

“You’re really good!” she said.

“Thank you.”

I was afraid that I wouldn’t get the part. Especially when I saw her talking and laughing with another person who was trying out.

“Just great!” I thought. “They’re best friends! What chance do I have?”

That afternoon I went for a walk in the mall to try to clear my mind, by looking at all the things I couldn’t buy. I was thinking to myself, “I’ll do a better job at my next audition. I know there’s something out there for me.”

Suddenly my cell phone went off. It was my agent calling.

“You have a call-back,” he said.

That was the greatest moment of my life! I began jumping up and down, and screaming, “I’ve got it! It’s mine! It’s mine!”

The security guard and shoppers looked at me; I’m sure they thought I was crazy. I continued leaping up and down on my way home, and crying out to the heavens, “Thank you, God! Thank you, Jesus!”

The second tryout was not only with Victoria, but also with the director, the great Edward Zwick, himself.

“Do exactly for him like you did for me,” Victoria told me.

Zwick began yawning as I prepared to perform. Victoria explained to me, “He’s yawning because he just got back from South Africa and not because he’s bored.” And then she asked him, “Are you sure you can stay awake for this?”

Two minutes later, after I had finished the reading, Zwick was wide-awake and seemed truly excited by my performance. “You are really good!” he said — and appeared very genuine as he said it.

I didn’t know for a month-and-a-half whether or not I had actually gotten the part. Then on Christmas Eve, while I was shopping in a 99-cent store, my agent called, “Merry Christmas!” he said. “Santa Claus has a part in a movie for you.”

I did the same thing I had done at the mall. Jumping up and down, and screaming. “I got it! I got it! Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, God!” I have direct deposit, and it was great seeing that first payment hit my account. I could pay for rent, pay for utilities, fill up my car — with money left over. With an incredible amount of money left over, actually!

Career Launch

Before I knew it I was on my way to South Africa to start shooting for the movie. My family all came down to LAX to see me off. They were as excited for me as I was for myself.

We spent three months in Africa, from March to June 2006 and shot scenes in two different African countries — Mozambique and South Africa, near Lesotho. Playing the role of Jessie Vandy reawakened in my mind the dark experiences of my youth. Those memories weren’t pleasant, but I’m sure they added to the authenticity of my performance.

“I used to live here,” I told the crew. “Those are my people.” African relatives kept showing up at my hotel. They were so happy to see me! Mom says that I’ve become famous in Zimbabwe as a local-girl-makes-good, even though I never lived there as an adult.

My role called for me to speak my lines in Mende, the language of Sierra Leon, which is a completely different dialect than the Zulu I had learned as a child. A language coach tutored me getting the inflections right.

The producers of Blood Diamond invested a huge amount of resources in creating an incredibly accurate portrayal of the African culture.

They worked with consultants to create a set that was a nearly exact replica of an actual Sierra Leone village.

The fact that they made me speak the local language shows how much attention the producers gave to accuracy because how many viewers would know if they had just let me speak my own Zulu dialect?

My first day on the set with Jennifer Connelly and Leonardo DiCaprio was surreal. DiCaprio said to me, “My name is Leo.”

I said, “I know.” (I’m sure that he gets that a lot.)

These people were my heroes, of course, but they treated me as an equal; as a friend even.

Djimon Hounsou was the actor who played Solomon Vandy — the husband of my character. “You make me feel my part!” he told me. A couple of months ago Djimon was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the movie. In light of his comment, I can perhaps imagine that I had something to do with helping him gain that honor.

All the actors in the movie complimented my acting and made me feel like I really belonged in their circle. They set an example for me that I’m going to follow in future movies when I’m working with novices. I’m going to pay forward the gift of acceptance that those great people gave to me.

Having Ed Zwick at the head of my debut movie was an extraordinary piece of luck. He did an amazing job as director and made us new actors and actresses feel like we could do anything. He encouraged us to improvise at some points and to do things that weren’t in the script, but that we thought were appropriate to our characters.

With Ed Zwick standing behind the cameras and Leonardo DiCaprio standing beside me, I felt like I could do anything!

I was particularly amazed when Zwick said to me after shooting had ended, “Thank you for being in my movie.” It was a remarkable thing for him to say! He had given me the biggest break of my life! And here he was thanking me!

Reaching out to the Children

After we had been on the set in Mozambique for a month, we were having dinner one evening when someone said, “Did you people know that an orphanage is located right near our hotel room?” The orphanage was only two blocks away so we paid it a visit. What a remarkable experience! We discovered that the children were destitute. A few broken toys were scattered about. Little children were trying to wear cloth diapers with no safety pins. The children’s clothes were torn. The institution was apparently doing a good thing in providing a refuge for the kids, but they lacked resources.

We were astonished by the cheerful attitude those children were able to maintain in the face of their pitiable condition.

They all seemed happy! All they asked of us was to give them hugs — and to laugh, sing, and dance with them.

I got on the phone and called my mom who has a ministry of providing clothing to disadvantaged people in East County.

“Can’t we do something for these kids?” I asked.

Mom said that she would gather up clothes and send them. I paid for the shipping with my per diem money, which was intended for personal food and supplies. The production company fed us and, anyway, it was a good time to diet a little bit.

The clothes arrived two days before Mother’s Day. I went on a shopping spree and bought cartons full of toys for the kids. Plus I got two large cakes, snacks, and other party stuff. Then on Mother’s Day 2006 we threw a huge party for the children.

Djimon, Jennifer, and members of the crew were there. The kids were delighted, of course — especially about those cakes! We passed out toys, carried the kids around in our arms, danced with them, and gave them a celebration they will never forget. It was heart-warming.

I can’t say anything wrong about Jennifer Connelly. Her attendance at the party was particularly remarkable since her husband and her own children had come to Africa to stay with her on the set. But she left them on Mother’s Day in order to spend time with those homeless kids.

I want to do more films. I love movie making. Someday perhaps I’ll produce my own movies and make some hit CDs. I’m planning to go as far as I can.

The pattern of life that I’m pursuing is good for us all, I believe. My folks moving to America, Conner Horsfield making his plans for the future, the little children with torn clothing laughing and dancing in an African orphanage, my sticking it out in Hollywood….

These are examples showing the way we should live in this world: Take life the way it comes, but move past obstacles; always move towards the potential. Never stop! _