Recent years have seen the film industry a-buzz with captivating performances from some of the globe’s hottest young stars; from Emma Stone to Daniel Kaluuya, Saiorse Ronan to Dev Patel, and of course we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention breakout sensation Timothée Chalamet.
And so it comes as no surprise that amongst the budding talent, South Africa has its own offering to throw in the mix, in the form of Amy Letcher.
Despite her humble beginnings – her first roles being in school productions and local theatre in the small, South African town where she grew up – the extraordinary actress has since made her mark on both New York and Los Angeles alike, with appearances on Emmy winning TV series like Black Sails and NCIS, and a poignantly relevant solo show written by the actress herself, which she performed on the world renowned Theatre Row in New York City.
“I think it’s a really exciting time in the industry at the moment,” says Letcher, when asked about the new faces stepping into the spotlight and onto red carpets all over Hollywood. “Which is not to say that the industry hasn’t been exciting in the past, but right now we’re seeing so many new faces and stories being told, and so many stereotypes being shattered. Obviously we have so far to go, but it’s an honor to be a part of what’s happening right now.”
And indeed she is part of it – in the thick of it, even – considering the young South African starlet has already worked with some of Hollywood’s heavyweights, including Matt Weiner (creator of Mad Men and The Sopranos), on his new show The Romanoffs.
“It was such an incredible experience to be part of [The Romanoffs]. Especially because we got to work with some special effects, like squibs. I’ve worked on projects before which require stunt-work and weaponry, but I’d never worked with squibs before. It was pretty fascinating – I have a lot of respect for stunt teams, armorers and VFX specialists.” says Letcher, no doubt referring to her starring roles in Reckoning and The Goblin Queen, in which she worked with renowned stunt choreographers Jan Bryant and Dan Speaker (sword masters/advisors for Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe, and the Robin Williams classic, Hook).
“People don’t necessarily look at me and expect that I’m trained in sword fighting and screen combat,” the petite actress jokes, “but I don’t mind. I guess I’ve never been one for following what’s expected.” Yet another trait Letcher shares with so many of her up-and-coming peers.
It seems the starlet is where she belongs; we expect to see a lot more of her in the coming years.
Letcher is currently represented by Minc Talent and After Eden Management. She can be found on social media – @letcherhairdown – and online at amyletcher.com.
