When I spoke to Freedom Hadebe at his home in South Africa, I found a quiet, articulate young man. At 19, Freedom is an experienced actor who has had roles in British feature films (Place of Lions), local theater, and Justice for All, an educational program.

He comes from a large family; two brothers and three sisters, three sets of grandparents, and, of course, his father, an architect, and his mother. His family is supportive of his career; of everything he does. They give him guidance as he needs it.

I was curious about the effect apartheid had on his career. Because he began his acting career at age 12, about the time forced segregation ended, the changes in South Africa's social structure have had little effect on Freedom's acting, except for one important thing. Under apartheid, he would not have been allowed to act in Scout's Safari.

When asked how it was working on a series for the United States, Freedom enthusiastically said, "Great! I wouldn't have missed it for a trip to Mars!" The professionalism at all levels of production, crew, cast, writers, was extraordinary. Everyone was always happy. Exhaustion was quickly forgotten as "good moods" and "energy bounced off each other."

This was Freedom's first time working with animals. He confessed he has had little to do with South Africa's famous wild life, rarely going to the game reserves. Instead, he and his friends hang out at the mall, playing arcade games and listening to music.

South Africa, he tells us, is not quite what people in other places think it is. The jungles are in other countries on the huge continent, such as the Congo. There are few trees, not because of urban development, but because of the natural ecological balance of this land south of the equator. Joberg (Johannesberg) is a sophisticated city with many different types of people. Summers are notoriously hot. Surprisingly, the winters are dry and can be very cold, getting down into the 30s. Seasons are opposite of the northern hemisphere. It's fall in North America; spring in South Africa.

He lives in a township. These communities are all black neighborhoods. Freedom explained that the townships were formed decades ago when migrant laborers settled after coming to work the mines, especially the gold mines. You can see post-apartheid South Africa best in the modern suburbs, where whites and blacks live in integrated subdivisions. He and his friends have had few problems with whites. The youth are trying to put the past behind them.

Now that Scout's Safari has completed shooting for the season, what is Freedom doing with his time? He's an engineering, design, and drafting student. Drawing is second nature. Freedom compares design to acting. "In acting, a character takes on a life of its own. Like acting, drawing brings things to life."

He strongly expresses his passion for his homeland when he talks about his acting career. If he could go to the top, Freedom would " ... take over Hollywood!" He chuckled and added that he's " ... working on a dream of what Africans can do for the rest of the world."

The young man is excited about the potential a successful career could have on South Africa. He would like to go to a different level. "Lots of things are happening here. We need a balance between rich and poor. I would like to exterminate poverty. Acting can get attention for a problem and raise funds." People will listen and give a helping hand. He would like to see a " ... revolution in the South African film industry," showing the heritage and culture there.

Freedom's Advice to Aspiring Actors: "Take your best aim and dream a lot. Work on your dream."

What Freedom Would Like Us to Know about South Africa: It is a nation rich with heritage, culture, and history. It has much to offer the world. "Change what you think of South Africa."

His Name: Freedom has another name, "Kgosimore," which his grandfather gave him at birth. In the Zulu language, "kogi" means king. Kgoisimore means someone who is able to lead a family or nation to greater heights. We're sure whether it's through acting or engineering careers, Freedom Hadebe will be, to some degree, a leader of his family and nation.

SOME OF FREEDOM'S FAVORITE THINGS

Favorite Color: Navy Blue

Favorite Food: Itombolo — A Zulu dumpling his grandmother makes.

Favorite Actors: Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, and Cuba Gooding, Jr.

Favorite Music/Artist: Everything from hip-hop to Kwaito, a local form of rap mixed with Township lingo and slang. He loves Motown music of the '60s and '70s.

Favorite Class: High-Tech, which is a mix of mechanical and electrical studies.

What Freedom and His Friends do for Fun: Listen to music, watch movies, listen to more music.

Hobbies: He collects CDs. He also plays alto sax. His dad plays tenor.

Place He'd Like to Visit: Los Angeles and Singapore. He's heard Singapore is the coolest city in the world.