Beyond the Spotlight: Shaleen Surtie-Richards
There's no other word to describe Shaleen Surtie-Richards, but as a doyen of South African entertainment.
TV, Radio, stage, movies - you name it, she's been credited.
Born in Upington in the Northern Cape - Surtie-Richards rose to fame for the title role in the 1988 film "Fiela se Kind".
She tore out our hearts and for the next 30 years has made us laugh, cry, love and loath.
But she's not all drama - there's a witty sense of humour that's even made her a "roaster" in the Comedy Central Roast of Steve Hofmeyr.
Shaleen might have been off our TV screens for a while, but there's good news for soapie lovers - she is returning in a brand new tele-novella.
In an industry obsessed with staying young and perfect bodies, Surtie-Richards doesn't shy away from age-ing. In fact, she uses it to give out free advice about work, health and life. She knows what it's about and she wants to tell her story till the bitter end.
