Marguerite Wheatley Speaks About Clint Eastwood
Revealing What it was Like Working With Eastwood on Invictus Film
Nov 8, 2009
After spending nearly 30 arduous years in jail during the apartheid regime, Nelson Mandela emerged unscathed as the president of South Africa who not only forgave his transgressors but united an entire rainbow nation.
The film, Invictus, which was directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, focuses on how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) reached out to Springbok rugby captain, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) in an attempt to erase the racial divide in his country and unite his nation by winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Invictus means invincible in Latin and conveys the message of Mandela's indomitable and gentle spirit which will undoubtedly reverberate in the hearts and minds of millions around the world.
South African Actress Marguerite Wheatley
After hundreds of auditions were held in the USA, South Africa and the UK, 28 year-old Wheatley was chosen to play the part of Nerine Winter, Francois Pienaar's (Matt Damon) wife.
She says that she was flabbergasted when she found out she was chosen as it never occurred to her that an Afrikaans girl would be cast for the role.
"We are always being criticised because of our harsh Afrikaans accents, especially at international castings but this time it was exactly what they wanted," she explains.
She says that after the call-back she remained hopeful and prayed a lot. She was certain that everything would happen as it was supposed to.
When she received the exciting news early in February she celebrated by swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of South Africa after finishing an interview on the beach.
She ads that swimming in the ocean makes her feel closer to God even though she knows that God lives within us.
Wheatley said that it never really occurred to her to become anything else other than an actress except possibly a vet. She explains that she was bad at maths and good at crying when she got into trouble and therefore it very quickly became her only choice.
She grew up in a small town called Yzerfontein in South Africa with a family that she describes as close-knit, loving and conservative.
Working With the Legendary Clint Eastwood
She says that she was not intimidated by Eastwood in a bad way but in a good way as it showed the amount of respect she had for such a legendary person.
"He is awesome, genuine, patient and kind and he made me feel so special," she reveals.
Wheatley ads that Eastwood's kindness and professionalism also made her aware of the fact that when a person works on something that they are serious about and in love with - it is a blessing and that there is no place for egoistic attitude.
"Directors, producers and actors who thrive on power trips are not loving what they are doing - that's just vanity."
She ads that it kind of banished the "Hollywood hardness" stigma to her in a big way.
"Not all successful people got to the top by trampling on others and definitely not Mr Eastwood, he is as amazing as everyone think he is."
Invictus and the South African Acting Industry
Wheatley says that people have no idea how little South African actors get paid including the soap stars.
"We always film on very tight budgets and hardly get paid anything, sometimes we work for next to nothing or for free," she explains.
She says that it was fantastic to be paid well for a change as it was a first for her. "Working on this set was such a breath of fresh air, not only because of the money but because of the overall professionalism and experience."
According to Wheatley, Invictus will be a huge film around the world. "Possibly the biggest film made in South Africa thus far." She says not necessarily because of the big stars but because of the story. "I have no idea what opportunities will come after Invictus because I am use to always starting over again and I am fine with that - it keeps us grounded," she humbly states.
This concludes the first part of the interview with Marguerite Wheatley. Find out more about her and what it was like working with Oscar winners Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman in the second part of the interview.
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