Swazi Star.

Do you know who Richard E Grant is and what he does?

Movie star Richard E Grant has been around for a long time now. In fact he first came to major attention as the lead in the 1987 Film “Withnail and I”. Most recently he has written his Life story in a Book, which in turn, he turned into a film called, “Wa Wa” which he Directed.

Despite this, in the general world, Richard is still relatively unknown and more often than not confused with the more popular and notorious Hugh Grant.

However that is not so in Swaziland. In Swaziland he is and I quote, “ Swaziland’s only Hollywood movie Star”, and regarded as such. As a young man, born and bred in Swaziland he is the most famous son to go out of there and is applauded as such, even if the rest of the world either doesn’t know him or confuses him for someone else. In his own land he is a hero, even if others don’t think so. Yet he still has to live and work outside of Swaziland to execute his craft to his full potential.

Many times we can be famous in a small way but to make a career and a real success out of our talents, we have to go out into the wider world to practise our craft to its full potential. This can be quite scarier and often we are tempted to opt for the safer option of staying where we are and stifling our future potential. What about you? Are you a Star at home but a relatively unknown outside of it and therefore reluctant to loose what status you have now, rather than reach your full peak outside of home, even if you will never be the Biggest Star ever? Are you prepared to put yourself out there even if it is to only be “A Hollywood Star” and not THE Hollywood star”? Or will you always be just “a Swazi Star”, because you are afraid to take a risk?

The choice is usually yours. Yes, sometimes circumstances and luck do come into it, but more often than not hard work and commitment are the determining factors. Remember Richard had to put himself outside of his comfit zone. First by going to England and then to the USA. Big changes and a big commitment yes! But now, although many years down the track, he is both what he was and what he is, a Swazi Star and a Hollywood Star in his own right. He tried – and succeeded. Will you at least try? Will you? Not necessarily to be an actor or even a Star, nor necessarily to be the best ever, but to be the best you can be at whatever it is you do! Will You?