User:Dsteyn/Antoinette Louw

BIOGRAPHY
Antoinette is best known for her role as ‘Inge’, the manager of the boutique in 7de Laan, one of South Africa’s most loved and successful soaps.

Born in Pretoria on 9 May 1975 and raised in Potchefstroom, Vanderbijlpark and Bloemfontein, Antoinette is the daughter of Dap Louw and Anet Louw. Both her parents are professors in psychology and together write the psychology handbooks for South African universities. Her brother, Dappie, a year younger than her, is a doctor in urology.

She was also privileged to attend school in the United States of America where her dad did research and teaching at various universities. In 1991 the family moved to Bloemfontein and Antoinette matriculated in 1993 at Sentraal Hoërskool, Bloemfontein. She studied drama at the University of the Free State (UOFS) and receives her degree cum laude in 1996.

In her third year she tries her hand as producer and director of the play, The Woman Who Cooked her Husband, a black comedy by British playwright, Debbie Issit. The production was invited to perform in London at the Courtyard Theatre. During her studies she was also awarded the:  André du Plessis award for best second year drama student  South African Theatre Journal award for best third year drama student  Elsa Krantz award for best drama student 1994-1996  UOFS Merit Bursary for Arts and Culture  UOFS Honorary Colours for Arts and Culture

She returns to South Africa after a few months in London and studies film acting at AFDA (South African School of Film and Dramatic Arts) under direction of award winning playwright, Deon Opperman. There she landed the lead in the M-Net shortfilm, Skidmarks. She was awarded both the AFDA and M-Net Awards for Best Film Actress for her role as Stacey, a second rate beauty queen.

After AFDA she took a break from the entertainment industry for a couple of years (during which she lived in Malta, a small Mediterranean island, for a year). Back in South Africa, she decides to do that which she loves best: acting and writing. Shortly after her arrival in Johannesburg, she landed of ‘Inge van Schalkwyk’ in 7de Laan. The original contract of three weeks became two years.

However, after two years on the soap, she returns to her first love: the stage. Recently she was seen at KKNK, Aardklop and the Volksblad Arts Festival as ‘Anna’ in the upsetting Dis ek, Anna – the stage adaptation of the book with the same title. Currently she is also in veteran film maker Jan Scholtz’ first play, Afspraak, with Paul Eilers in the director’s chair.