When acting becomes a spiritual practice

It is this passion for language and heritage in her stage and screen work that makes Green see acting as a calling deeply rooted in empathy and spirituality.

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Green’s stunning command of Sepedi adds to this relatability.

"When I got the script, I was able to access the knowledge from what I saw in my community. She’s very hard. One of those petty women that doesn’t take nonsense."

In the soapie characters she portrays, Green emphasises the importance of authentic language. She believes accurate linguistic representation serves as a teaching tool for audiences and enriches cultural representation in popular media.

As I pose the question, Green gets up to pick up a book she got from her mother who was a teacher. The book, Green tells me, contains Sepedi proverbs and idioms she sometimes inserts in the script, which the director loves.

"It was important for the character to speak my mother tongue because it became a teaching vehicle. Some viewers might not hear and understand the language but they can appreciate its musicality, colours, depth and lightness.

"I relish the moment I get my scripts - then to get onto set and say something in Sepedi.

"Then the director can be, like, 'What did you say there? That sounded great and so musical."

She says her passion for storytelling stems from her grandmother, who was a remarkable orator.

Green argues that storytelling is inherent in all individuals and that acting chose her, taking her away from initial aspirations to be a pilot.

She believes that storytelling is a spiritual process that encourages self-confrontation and healing, emphasising that stories can open up vital conversations both internally and interpersonally.

"The stories that I gravitate towards are very much about how we confront ourselves before we can even think about healing ourselves.