Living in the Mother City and working in the film industry, one knows only too well how short-lived a success in the acting sphere can be… before madly searching for the next “fix”. Every now and then, life churns out a rarity… in this case, an actor who seems to be bathed in a golden hue of luck. Opportunities seem to follow him wherever he goes, and as a result Clayton Evertson is one of the few actors I know who is consistently working. And not just ‘working’, but working in really decent roles that anyone would envy.
We meet up at Loading Bay in Cape Town, ready to order our coffees after a busy morning and start our interview!
Tamika: Where are you from originally?
Clayton: Born & bred in Cape Town!
Tamika: Where did you go to school?
Clayton: Muizenberg High.
Tamika: What did you do after school?
Clayton: I went straight to study acting at the New Africa Theatre Academy. I was there for a year. Then I auditioned for City Varsity for their first ever 3rd year course. Thankfully, I got in! It was a very competitive year and so worth it!
Tamika: What kind of training did you do for acting?
Clayton: That was my primary training and last year I went to New York to the Stella Adler Studio. That was a 10-week course. I learnt more there than everything I’ve ever done combined!
Tamika: Wow! So what would you say it is that you do primarily?
Clayton: I’m a full-time actor. I act for both film and theatre.
Tamika: Sounds awesome! Film wise, name some films you’ve done that were memorable for you. When were they, what what were they about and what was your role?
Clayton: Films I’ve done include The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior, Natalee Holloway, The League of Glory, Holby City, Hominid Erectus, Deathrace 2, Le Capitaine and Zulu. But one that’s really stood out for me was a short film that I did called Agter Die Berge. It was shot in 2009 and is still running on M-Net. I play the lead character “Mo”(short for Moses). It’s the story of a young man who is forced to leave Cape Town and in his time away he discovers who he is, but realizes you can’t run away from your past. It’s directed by Kyle Southgate and I will never forget it!
Tamika: Have you done any commercials? Name some of the best ones! 
Clayton: Yes I’ve done a lot. The coolest one by far is for Castle Lite… I play the Castle Lite yetti! haha!
Tamika: Have you won any awards?
Clayton: Yes I have. I won “Best Actor” at the Stop Crime Drama Festival in Nyanga in 2005.
Tamika: What is the most recent job you’ve done?
Clayton: I’m busy with Zulu. I play a thug who is high on drugs. I am very proud that the whole of the Zulu cast are South Africans. The only foreigners are the leads Forest Whitaker and Orlando Bloom.
Tamika: What’s in the pipeline for you at the moment?
Clayton: Zulu, a music video for Auriol Hayes and I’m busy writing a one-man play called Forgive The Devil. It will show at The Grahamstown National Arts Festival in 2013. My director is Abdu Adams.
Tamika: Who is your agent?
Clayton: APM.
Tamika: Do you also model.
Clayton: No!
Tamika: What are your favourite South African films?
Clayton: Die ongelooflike avonture van Hanna Hoekom and Skeem.
Tamika: Where do you party?
Clayton: I don’t party. I just enjoy going out for supper.
Tamika: What’s in the boot of your car right now?
Clayton: Jackets!
Tamika: Do you have siblings?
Clayton: Yes. A sister and a laat lammetjie brother!
Tamika: What does your family do?
Clayton: My dad’s a teacher and my mom doesn’t work anymore.
Tamika: What is your health routine like?
Clayton: I do a lot of skipping at home. I used to go to gym but now I’ve bought all the equipment I need and I just workout at home.
Tamika: Where do you see yourself in ten years from now?
Clayton: I want to be one of the best actors in South Africa. But I don’t just want to do it for the sake of doing it.
Tamika: What’s one interesting thing about you that your followers don’t know?
Clayton: I drink a lot of Monster energy drink!
Tamika: Name a place you love.
Clayton: The Cederburg. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to.
Tamika: Do you do any charity work?
Clayton: I don’t.
Tamika: What do you tell yourself when you walk out of an audition?
Clayton: A couple of cuss words and then I move on! Haha! I read somewhere that when you go for an audition, no one else has that role in that time but you. So that’s what I believe when I’m in there. I give it my all and then try to forget about it – but I’m human and I always think I could have done something differently!
Check him out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/clayton.evertson?fref=ts
