South African actress Masali Baduza, who gained wide media attention for playing Lord Kilmartin’s cousin in Bridgerton, is a strong advocator of her native culture.
In 2020, while discussing her character Sephy Hadley in the BBC drama Noughts + Crosses, she said, “Making Sephy, the protagonist of the show, wear an afro wig rather than a straight wig, that was huge!”
Masali further stated that she was really thrilled to watch Sephy’s world as a black woman where ‘African culture is the standard of beauty.’
Also, in an interview with BBC, she expressed her pride in representing such an unapologetically African character. She said, “Not having a weave or straight hair but just embracing the natural hair that grows out of black people’s heads was especially cool.”
As Masali Baduza talks about ’embracing natural beauty’ in the statement, this clearly indicates that she might not use plastic surgery as an alternative method to enhance her physical appearance.
Masali Baduza once said that she was obliged to fit into the societal beauty standard, which traumatized her as a child
In an exclusive talk with Independent co.uk, Masali Baduza opened up on her experience growing up as a black woman in a discriminatory society that considered a natural afro look an ‘unprofessional and unkempt.’
Further, Masali said that as a child, she couldn’t embrace her African hairstyle, which absolutely traumatized her. She had to style her hair into something else that was more acceptable, as per the rule book.
It left an unerasing mark on Masali Baduza’s young mind: ‘ who you are naturally is not good enough.’
That’s why she enjoyed portraying Sephy in Noughts + Crosses, who lived her naturality the most. This means Masali Baduza greatly emphasized natural beauty rather than cosmetic surgery.
Additional Information
- Masali Baduza was born in the late 90s, shortly after Apartheid ended in South Africa. She is currently 24 years old.
- Masali studied acting at the New York Film Academy Los Angeles and graduated in 2016.
- She debuted as an actor in 2019, playing Thandi in Bhai’s Cafe. According to IMDb, she has 10 acting credits.
