Award-winning actress Lorcia Cooper-Kumalo, who stars on Showmax’s Red Ink, says she is all about impact when it comes to choosing roles.
Cooper-Kumalo said that, when she started in this industry, she was very particular about what kind of artist she wanted to be.
Story must have an impact
“As a dancer, I always wanted my work to touch someone. That was my bottom line all the time. And the same applied to when I started becoming an actress.
“So, any story I take on I’d like it to have an impact. I always ask myself if this storyline will invoke some type of emotion. And if the storyline makes the audience think beyond what they knew.
“Red Ink for me ticked all those boxes. This is why, when I take on roles, I am specific. I don’t commit 99%, I go all-in. Because somewhere out there, there is someone who really is a Detective Morapedi. And so I’d like to be earnest about that, and about how I tell that story,” she said.
When she first read the script for Red Ink she got excited because it is adapted from a South African book.
Adapted from a book
“I love that and I also love that the storyline was so layered that you’re not quite sure how the story will play out. Even when I was reading the script, I kept wanting to get to the end. Because I wanted to know how everything was going to end.”
Cooper-Kumalo plays the role of Detective Morapedi. She says she appreciates how her character has so much composure.
“Even when she loses it, it’s strategic, she is not careless or clumsy with her emotions or how she reacts to something. She is constantly plotting and planning. And because she stands for justice, she always wants to find out what the answer is.
“I also appreciate how she’s solution-driven. She doesn’t cower when there is a problem because she believes that with a problem there is ultimately a solution.”
Prepared for the role
She said she was very careful about what kind of material she specifically watched before preparing for the role.
“You can cross the line between being inspired and mimicking, and I don’t condone mimicking. But I did start watching specific crime shows just to understand how the mind of a serial killer works.
“So I did research on serial killers. And from a detective’s point of view, I did some research on how detectives can coerce a suspect to eventually tell the truth.”
