Mzansi TV’s most recycled character - and why Shannon Esra says it works

Shannon Esra is a celebrated actress, initially gaining widespread recognition as Yvette Meyer in the pioneering SABC3 soap opera, "Isiding".

Following this breakthrough role, Esra has continued to captivate audiences with a diverse range of engaging characters. She delivered "mindblowing performances" in both “Still Breathing” and “Lioness”, setting a new career benchmark by proving her exceptional range.

Interestingly, she bagged a Golden Horn for Best Actress in a TV Drama for 'Lioness 2' at the Saftas in 2024.

Notably, she is also famous for playing Sandra Stein, a cutthroat criminal lawyer.

This character, who first appeared on Mzansi Magic’s telenovela, “The Queen,” has since made appearances on several other shows. This represents a singular and distinctive crossover event in South African television.

And now Esra has reprised her character in “Law, Love & Betrayal” season 2. 

When I caught up with Esra to chat about this remarkable development in her career, she said: “Well, if you take it from the first inception of her, it was ‘The Queen’, The River’, ‘The Throne’, ‘Gomora’, ‘Legacy’, and now ‘Law, Love & Betrayal, that's six.

"If I knew the exact reason behind it (the character’s longevity), I would tell you. But I think it’s many things. 

“It is definitely confirmation that I'm doing the job well, that audiences are resonating with a person of her strength and her ilk. And because she is such a useful character to have, she can function in so many different shows.”

On how she plays her in the different worlds she’s inhabited, the veteran actress offered: “When we look at the telenovelas that she was in, her role was quite certain she would come in and defend whichever case was put in front of her. And so there was a lot of plot and exposition. 

“We didn't really get to identify character aspects or a personal story about Sandra. But in ‘Legacy’, we did get to know a little bit more of a more intimate side to her. I had like an hour and a half conversation with Gwydion Beynon, who was the headwriter, where I revealed the backstory that I’ve developed for Sandra. So it was wonderful to see it arrive in the scripts.

“So we got to know a little bit more about who Sandra is behind the cloaks, the courtroom, and those antics. Whereas in this, we're gonna see more of the Sandra we know, which is highly ambitious and shrewd.

"But I wanted to impart a lighter sense to her, that she doesn't take it all so seriously, and yet she does. I don't know how it's gonna look on screen. It was my own personal goal that I set for myself.”

Unpacking the vibe on set and how she found her feet in a new playground, Esra admitted: “I mean, 99% of the time, one of the joys of being an actor is being on new sets with different people, different energies. It's, for the most part, really rewarding and exciting. 

“Sometimes it can be challenging because you might be a bit contracted in certain spaces, but that's just being human. This time, I found myself particularly anxious as I was going through my own personal stuff. The department that got to see it was primarily makeup. They were so tender, gentle and very patient, giving me a very soft landing. 

“We had such a great team. Everyone was so kind and magnanimous, and it was a really fantastic experience on set, with cast and crew alike.”

At this juncture of her career, I asked Esra about the roles that pique her interest.

She replied, “I'm always looking for a character that's really gonna challenge my own systems, how I approach the world. I love being able to evacuate as myself and become someone else and see the world through their eyes. 

“I am very drawn to robust, strong and brave women. I thrive on those kinds of internal and external challenges that a character will have. 

“So I'm always looking for being between a rock and a hard place …”

Meanwhile, Esra will be dividing her time between Johannesburg and Cape Town for a role she is currently filming there. However, she was unable to disclose further details about the part.

∎ Fans can watch her in the second season of “Law, Love & Betrayal” on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) every Sunday at 8pm. Joining the cast are Sparky Xulu, who takes on the role of Sakhile Nxusa, an astute social justice lawyer, and Katlego Lebogang, playing criminal lawyer Bakang Mokgotso.