She made her stage debut at only 11 years old, and a few years later starred in her first movie as the leading actress. And she’s not slowing down. Izel Bezuidenhout is no newbie to the telly or big screen. We caught up with her in between learning lines to find out some fun facts about this bubbly 20-something-year-old.
What are some of your biggest career highlights? Starring in Agent 2000: Die Laksman Dis ek, Anna, Bloedbroers, Vaselinetjie, Flatland, An Act of Defiance, 7de Laan, The Ring of Beasts and the list continues. At the moment you’ll catch me in Spoorloos 4: Die Eiland playing Emma Eloff who disappears and the mystery must be solved … For sure a massive highlight and a huge honour to be part of this production.
Who would play you in a movie about your life? Meryl Streep. Because she is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) and can play anything or anyone. And I would also love to hear her speak Afrikaans or do a South African accent. My movie will be called Forever Young and Free. An adventure fantasy – centered around dreams, travelling, spontaneous decisions, and believing that the impossible is possible, with hard work.
Is there a part in a local series or movie you wished you could play? I absolutely love period dramas, and a character that captured my attention was Rolanda Marais’s character in Bloedbroers. Gosh, she played the character Ingrid du Toit spectacularly well. She portrays a strong-headed, sometimes stubborn but courageous woman who stands up for what she believes in, in a time when it was expected of women to rather stay quiet.
And a fictional character that would be the most exciting to meet in real life? It’s almost impossible to pick just one. So here’s two. Joey Tribbiani from Friends … I just want to hear him say “how you doin” in real life. And Jo March from Little Women. Her fiery, independent and kind personality helped her to follow her dreams and defy the social conventions of her time. Just imagine what an inspiration she would be for people today.
Tell us something funny that has happened to you on set? I am a sneaker-type girl, but recently, I played a character that had to wear high heels. A Lot. No matter how much I practised, in some scenes, I looked like a penguin while walking on high heels … waddling from one side to the other. What made it even worse is I had to do a few fast walks and running scenes in the heels as well. Hilariously embarrassing, I tell you. Oh, and I cannot light sparklers as my fellow Spoorloos cast members will confirm.
Who’d you like to invite for dinner? Without a doubt Tom Cruise. I am a huge fan of Top Gun and would love to hear about all the stunts he has done in his career and what crazy plans and ideas he has for his next movies. After dinner, I’ll ask him to take me on a ride in his fighter jet, while wearing his Top Gun sunglasses.Then, Meryl Streep. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have dinner with her and hear about all her stories and experiences? But I think I would probably have to order takeaways because I will totally forget about the food in the oven while staring at her and taking everything in that she is telling me.
Your celebrity crush? It will always be Scott Eastwood. But the cowboy version of him, like in the movie – The Longest Ride.
The scariest thing you’ve ever done? Moving to New York for six months to study without knowing anyone there. I started acting classes at a few different schools and being completely outside my comfort zone while exploring and travelling all on my own.
Do you have any quirky or unusual habits? I can move my eyebrows individually, and I still sleep with a teddy bear every night. Hey, don’t judge!
The best advice you ever received? Stand up for what you believe in, never give up, and no matter what, always be yourself. My mom Lucia, who is also my best friend, taught me this.
Where would you go if you had a time machine? Uhm, I would love to go to the future where people have flying cars. But also travel to a place where there is no sadness, disrespect, injustice, poverty AND load shedding.
Your biggest and weirdest fear? Biggest – Losing the people I love most in this world. Weirdest – I have a phobia for oil. Any type of oil. Just the thought of touching body, cooking or facial oil makes me cringe.
How do you eat a Zoo Biscuit? I eat it quite normal if I’m really hungry. Sometimes, I try to eat all around the white animal first. If I have a choice, I will always pick the blue Zoo biscuit.
Any exciting plans for the future? I am busy working on a new comedy series which I am super excited about, and I worked on a Netflix film last year, that will be released sometime this year. I am also planning on travelling a bit, putting myself outside my comfort zone by being part of a new business, and then there is something I am the most excited about but I can’t say anything about it yet.
Details: Catch Izel on Spoorloos 4: Die Eiland, Tuesdays, 8pm on kykNET, DStv channel 144. Follow @Izelbez on Facebook and Insta.
