House of Zwide actress-singer Lois du Plessis spreads her wings
Lois du Plessis, the talented actress behind the character Pearl on e.tv’s fashion drama House of Zwide, is not only skilled in acting but also possesses a remarkable singing talent.
Lois du Plessis, the talented actress behind the role of receptionist Pearl in e.tv’s House of Zwide, actually began her career as a singer. She was part of the renowned music group Afro Z, which was formed after the winning group’s creation of 101 in the Coca-Cola Popstars competition back in 2002.
Du Plessis tells Sowetan:
“Every year Coca-Cola Popstars would form new groups and that forced us to diversify our career paths. I then took up presenting for a gospel show on SABC2 and that is when I met Israel Houghton,” said Du Plessis"
The singer-actress amusingly mentions that the crowd was begging for her to sing, but she decided not to. However, six months later, Houghton returned in search of her.
“Somebody called me to tell me that Israel was trying to meet me and that is how we connected and my life changed forever. I didn’t even audition for him because he said on the night that I asked the question, God showed him that I needed to be a part of what they were doing regardless of hearing me sing,” she said.
For a solid 12 years, she embarked on a global adventure with the group, gracing stages alongside the likes of Darlene Zcech, Mary Mary, Fred Hammon, and other musical powerhouses.
“When I think about it, to this day I am still in awe about that period of my life. I used to see documentaries of artists in tour buses and to think that I was in five or six different buses touring is mind-blowing,” she said
Du Plessis made a triumphant return home in 2018, diving headfirst into the world of advertisements and theatre productions. But it was her role as Pearl in e.tv’s House of Zwide that truly stole the spotlight.
“I had felt a strong urge to come back home but before that, I decided to use my remaining years in the US to their fullest. At that time the band was not travelling. Auditioning in New York was super tough but I learned a lot there. Realising that I needed to have money saved up for things like accommodation while auditioning, I ended up working at Amazon’s warehouse for almost two years,” she said, laughing.
“Coming home was also for my parents because they were older, regardless of having work lined up there. I just trusted my heart that I needed to come home. I came home in July, and in December of that year, my mother had a heart attack,” she said, adding that her mother is recovering well.
“I started doing auditions and bagged a couple of commercials. I didn’t allow the nos to deter me from what I wanted to achieve and coming home I realised that I hadn’t arrived, regardless of having lived and travelled the world. I still had to start from the bottom, but starting from a place of knowledge and wisdom … that helped me reintegrate within the local industry,” she said.
