Tendaiishe Chitima
Tendaiishe Chitima | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1989 or 1990 (age 33–34) |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Alma mater | University of Cape Town Wits Business School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2013-present |
| Notable work | Cook Off (2017) |
Tendaiishe Chitima (born 1989 or 1990) is a Zimbabwean actress.
Biography[edit]
Chitima described herself as shy growing up in Zimbabwe, and did not consider acting as a career. She attended the University of Cape Town, studying media and journalism. Chitima took a drama course and loved it, deciding to become a professional actress. She did not tell her parents about her plan until after she graduated. Chitima later earned a master's degree in business.[1] During and after her studies, she acted in short films, including Jayson's Hope (2013), which was a Top 10 finalist for the Afrinolly Short Film Competition.[2]
At the beginning of her career, Chitima's roles were on South African television where she played maids and victims of human trafficking, exposing the plight of some migrant women.[3] In 2016, she played Blessing in the second season of the TV series Mutual Friends. She portrayed Adelaide, an orphan involved in human trafficking, in the TV series Isidingo in 2016.[2] In 2017, Chitima was cast as Anesu, a single mother who did not attend university, in the romantic comedy Cook Off. Her character has a passion for cooking, which is realized when her son and grandmother sign her up for a television cooking contest.[3] The film was made for a budget of about $8000, and she chose the role because she liked the social dynamics of the script. It was her first feature film and became a hit on Netflix, with Chitima describing it as a love letter to Zimbabwe.[1] She received the Best Actress award at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival, and Cook Off was named best film.[4] In 2018, she starred in the play Bloom Flame Bloom.[5]
Partial filmography[edit]
- 2013: Jayson’s Hope (short film)
- 2014: Evelyn and Tapiwa (short film)
- 2016: Mutual Friends (TV series, as Blessing)
- 2016: Isidingo (TV series, as Adelaide)
- 2017: Cook Off (as Anesu)
- 2018: Guilt (TV series, as Consolation Dube)
- 2019: Into Infinity (short film, as Angela Tariro)
- 2020: Gonarezhou: The Movie (as Thulo)
References[edit]
- ^ a b Dray, Kayleigh. "Loved Netflix's Cook Off? Meet Tendaiishe Chitima, star of the streaming platform's record-breaking romcom". Stylist. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Tendaiishe Chitima". TVSA. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Cook Off, the no-budget romcom that became the first Zimbabwean film on Netflix". The Guardian. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ "Zimbabwe: 'Cook Off' Movie Set for UK Premiere". NewZimbabwe.com. AllAfrica. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ Nyavaya, Kennedy (9 September 2018). "Chitima aspires to inspire next generation of actresses". The Standard. Retrieved 22 October 2020.