Living Her Dream

Actress and musician DAWN THANDEKA KING, 39, waited 18 years for her dreams to manifest. But this is only the beginning...

- Phila Tyekana

Lupita Nyong’o’s career kicked off at age 30, Samuel L Jackson’s at 46 and Morgan Freeman didn’t appear in a movie until he was 34 years old. And look at how successful they are! So, too, with actress Dawn Thandeka King, who burst onto our screens in her mid-30s. “Be careful of what you wish for, it may just come true,” says Dawn. It’s 8am on a hot Saturday morning in Joburg. We’re on the highway, finally weaving our way from the airport traffic to our location for this cover shoot. Dawn has appeared on two television dramas: Mzansi Magic’s Lockdown season 1, and SABC1’s most-watched soap, Uzalo.

“All I ever wanted was to be an actress, to perform and do my thing,” she says. “I didn’t realise that it came with all this fame. It’s mind-blowing, but I appreciate it.

“I’m excited to have portrayed two totally different characters on two programmes which, until recently, aired 30 minutes apart every Monday. Opportunities like that are rare for newbies like me.”