Actress Nozuko Ntshangase got real with her followers when she discussed the importance of prioritizing physical and mental wellness.
The actress shared on her timeline that she once felt sick on set because her “body felt heavy” and she couldn’t walk properly.
Nozuko expressed gratitude to an executive producer who sent her home that day but added that she despised the idea of pursuing money at the expense of her health.
“I enjoy my work and try to commit to ‘finishing the day’ no matter what. I’m a team player, but that day, I realized I had nothing left to give. At that point, I couldn’t understand or articulate to my agent and the production team what I was doing.
I felt ashamed about what I was going through. Everyone knows that production will manipulate you into working. They will even call your agent to persuade you to work when you clearly are not feeling well. It’s a common practice in the industry because no one wants to lose money.”
Nozuko advised other actors to negotiate rest time with production, lest exhaustion turn them off their craft.
My dear actors, I know we enjoy what we do. Let us take care of our physical and mental health. It’s not worth it to please everyone else while ignoring our own needs. I know we love the characters we play, but we must first take care of ourselves as actors. “Burnout is real.”
