Sara Zwangobani

Sara Zwangobani
Zwangobani in 2022
Born
Sara Zwangobani

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
OccupationActress
Years active1997–present

Sara Zwangobani is an Australian actress. She has appeared in Australian TV and film in Love My Way and Monarch Cove (2006), All Saints (2005 & 2009), Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006), Disgrace (2008), Packed to the Rafters (2009), Soul Mates (2014), Home and Away and Doctor Doctor (2019). Her most notable role is portraying Marigold Brandyfoot in Amazon Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in 2022.

Early life

Zwangobani was born in Canberra, (ACT), Australia,[1] and brought up in Cook.[1] She has a Zimbabwean father and a Zulu surname and a sibling, brother Elliott Zwangobani, Australian Sports Commission director, a former futsal player.[1] She attended Cook Primary School,[1] then undertook a drama program at Hawker College, Canberra.[1] From 1985-1988, she trained in dance, many forms, such as ballet, jazz, modern, funk[2] and as a tap dancer, at the Betsy Sawers School of Dance,[1] and with the Human Veins Dance Theatre.[1] In 1989, undertook a Television and Film Workshops course at Broadway Film Studios in Canberra.[2] She furthered her education at the Victorian College of the Arts, graduating in 1992 with a Diploma of arts in dramatic arts (Acting).[2]

Career

Sara Zwangobani at the LotR-TRoP Asia Premiere 2022

Theatre

On graduating, Zwangobani was approached by actor John Howard for acting roles for the Sydney Theatre Company.[1] Performances include Summer of the Aliens,[2] The Crucible (2000), Women in Shorts (1997), Pulse 10 (1999), Imago (2001).[3] Girl in Tan Boots for the Griffin Theatre Company, Lyrebird for the Old Fitzroy Theatre, Dirty Butterfly.[3] Zwangobani played Mark Antony in Julius Caesar[4] In 2009, she played Rosetta in the Liv Ullmann directed A Streetcar Named Desire working with Cate Blanchett.[5] In 2010, Zwangobani starred in the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of the Sarah Ruhl play In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) directed by Pamela Rabe.[2] Zwangobani played Elizabeth, a wet nurse of the main character[1]

Television and film

In 1997, she made her debut appearance on television in an episode of Fallen Angels[2] In 2006, she starred as Imogen in six episodes of the Australian drama series Love My Way,[6] which won ‘Best Television Drama Series’ at the Australian Film Institute Awards that year.[7] and won ‘Most Outstanding Drama Program’ at the ASTRA Awards[7] Continuing in 2006, she had a recurring role as Detective Maria Ramos for seven episodes of Lifetime’s prime time telenovela Monarch Cove.[8] She made appearances on Australian television and film in All Saints (2005 & 2009), Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006), Disgrace (2008), Packed to the Rafters (2009), Soul Mates (2014), Home and Away and Doctor Doctor (2019).[3]

In 2022, She played Marigold Brandyfoot,[9] stepmother of Elanor (Nori) Brandyfoot,[10] played by fellow Australian actress Markella Kavenagh, in Amazon Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.[4] Filming of season 1 was carried out in New Zealand.[11]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Star Baby Arial Short film[12]
2002 The Merchant of Fairness Danielle film
2006 One of the Lucky Ones Hannah Short film[12]
2008 Disgrace Young Woman film
2017 Dance Academy: The Movie ICU Nurse McDaniel Film[12]
2020 Grapefruit & Heat Death! Prof. McLaw Short film

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Fallen Angels Community Liaison S1 episode 3 – “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”
2000 Water Rats Toloti Vivi S5 episode 28 – “With a Vengence”
2005–2009 All Saints Carol Graham / Detective Allen 2 episodes
2006 Love My Way Imogen 6 episodes Wins Best Television Drama Series
2006–2018 Home and Away Jodi Anderson / Mel Harris 8 episodes
2006 Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King News Anchor 1 episode "Road Virus"[12]
2006 Monarch Cove Detective Maria Ramos 7 episodes
2006 Two Twisted Sarah 1 episode
2007 The Starter Wife Debra 1 episode
2007 One of the Lucky Ones Prosecuting Lawyer TV movie
2009 Packed to the Rafters Sonographer /Ultra Sound Technician 2 episodes
2014 Soul Mates Nancy Season 1 episode 5 – “Father Time”
2019 Doctor Doctor Dr. Luisa S4 episode2 - "Don't Stop Me Now"
2022 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Marigold Brandyfoot 6 episodes

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Musa, Helen (2 June 2011). "Sara comes home a star". citynews.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Sara Zwangobani" (PDF). Mollison Keightley Management. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Back to Cast & Crew - Sara Zwangobani - Marigold Brandyfoot". amazonstudios.com. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b Teti, Juia (26 August 2022). "Sara Zwangobani on How Motherhood Informed Her Matriarchal Role in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power". sheknows.com.
  5. ^ Altaira (18 December 2020). "Amazon Casting: Sara Zwangobani". theonering.net.
  6. ^ "australian television information archive Love My Way: episode guide Series Two". australiantelevision.net. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b "australian television information archive Love My Way: awards & nominations". australiantelevision.net. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Monarch Cove: Episode #1.10 Discover". videodetective.com. 12 February 2006.
  9. ^ Keast, Jackie (8 February 2023). "'You still have to carry you around': The Rings of Power changes Sara Zwangobani's career". if.com.au.
  10. ^ "The Rings of Power's Sara Zwangobani on Diversity in LOTR Universe". syfy.com. 13 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Sara Zwangobani Welcomes Inclusion to Middle-Earth in 'The Rings of Power'". Cliché Magazine. 28 November 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d "Showcast Actor Profile - Sara Zwangobani". MKM. Retrieved 16 March 2023.