SA actre soars with edgy US roles

Cape Town-born actress Lesley-Ann Brandt tries to stop the keepers of the secrets in the new series, The Librarians. In 1999, Lesley-Ann Brandt, along with her parents and younger brother, emigrated to New Zealand. The 32-year-old initially worked in retail sales, then became an IT recruitment consultant before edging her way towards the bright lights. First, she started as a promo-girl for Red Bull, then some modelling work and, before she realised, it mushroomed into her pursuing acting full-time. By Debashine Thangevelo

Brandt explains: I was doing a lot of TV commercials, which were mostly performance-based. One day, the casting director pulled me aside and said: You should take this seriously'. And I tried to find classes. New Zealand is an amazing industry, but they don't have the resources we have in the States. But, in saying that, I auditioned for a comedy (Diplomatic Immunity) and ended up getting it. And I met my friend Craig Parker, whom I worked with on the Spartacus TV series and Legend of the Seeker. And, I was fortunate. I started and never looked back.

Interestingly, it was her role as the slave girl Naevia in Spartacus: Blood and Sand and the prequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena that secured her international exposure.

She says: It was a very provocative show. It was a new show. It made it easier to come over to the US. I always think of that with fond memories. Officially, I moved to LA at the end of 2002.

On landing the part of Lamia in The Librarians, a 10-part spin-off of the movies, Brandt shares: Like most roles, you go out and audition for it. In this one, I worked with one of the producers on another show before. And I think that probably worked in my favour when I met with the casting people.

As for whether she was familiar with the movies, the actress reveals: Peter Winther (Independence Day, The Patriot), the director of the first movie - The Librarian: Quest for the Spear - is a very good friend of mine. I was familiar with the movie, through him actually. And prior to taking the role, I did watch one of the films to get a sense of the tone and the world of The Librarians.

And she gets to slip into the skin of an interesting character. Lamia is a baddie.

She belongs to the Serpent Brotherhood, a cult led by the mysterious immortal Dulaque. They want to restore the ancient supernatural artefacts back to their original role, which is opposed to what The Librarians do. She works with a group of men who go out and basically cause havoc for them.

The Librarians centres on an ancient organisation hidden beneath the Metropolitan Public Library in New York, dedicated to protecting an unknowing world from the secret, magical reality hidden all around. This interesting group of characters solves seemingly impossible mysteries, fights supernatural threats and recovers powerful artefacts from around the world. Among the artefacts housed in the library are the Ark of the Covenant, the Spear of Destiny, the Judas Chalice and Excalibur, to name a few.

Given the physical demands of the role, Brandt proudly states that she does most of her stunts.

Growing up in Cape Town, I was very active in my sports and that has served me well. I did do a little bit of sword work to prepare for the role. My fights are mostly with Rebecca and Noah.

Although this is the first time she has been paired with Wyle (Falling Skies), it was easier to bond as they had a mutual friend whom they both studied with.

Brandt offers: He has such an amazing reputation in the industry. And he is so welcoming and professional. He knows his lines and your lines. He and I would often sit and talk about great plays and playwrights - that sort of thing. We had really great conversations. Rebecca is really, really funny and so gracious.

By the way, Brandt also bagged a part in Gotham, which is on our screens. And she'll be in Winther's upcoming movie, Pain Killers.

She adds: I play a South African soldier, who is from Cape Town, in the movie. My character is from the same neighbourhood that my mother grew up in so it was very important to bring some of my culture in there. That's out next year.

And so we have another South African flying the flag high in Hollywood. Brandt is certainly doing us proud - all the best to her!

The Librarians, on Universal Channel (DStv channel 117) December 8 at 8.50pm.

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