Kudakwashe Rutendo is a born storyteller, and the story of her life so far is one well worth telling.
It’s one in which she’s played several different parts: an actor in film, theatre and television; an aspiring novelist; and a passionate student of English, philosophy and classics.
Graduating today as a member of Victoria College, Rutendo can look back on five years of extraordinary career activity both in and outside the classroom. Named one of 2023’s Rising Stars by the Toronto International Film Festival, she’s starred in the Canadian feature film Backspot, as well as numerous other stage and screen roles. As a writer, she’s already completed her first novel, is drafting a second, and was recently a panelist on CBC’s Canada Reads.
Recently, A&S news spoke to Rutendo about her exciting opening act, and her plans for life after U of T.
You were raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta and came to acting and writing through poetry. How did that happen?
Growing up, my mom put me in Girl Guides, swimming, soccer and dance. But then I heard about poetry competitions and said to myself: I want to do this! It felt very powerful. I started out reciting Shel Silverstein, but moved on to Shakespeare and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, as well as writing speeches. By the time I got to high school, I was working on my Associate Diploma (ARCT) in speech and drama at the Royal Conservatory. When you’re bringing words to life — well, that’s acting, right? And I said to myself, I don’t know who I’d be without this. I guess it’s something I have to continue to do.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a bad time for the film industry. How did it affect the start of your career?
Honestly, I have to say I’m grateful. Because regardless of what art you’re pursuing, one of the most difficult things is getting an agent. I started film acting classes in January 2020 and signed with my agent at the end of February, just before everything shut down. So that was great, especially because at that time I didn’t have any mentors. It was the first time I was doing auditions and sending in self-tapes, and my agents were exactly what I needed to navigate that process.
How was it to be named a Rising Star at TIFF?
That outside acknowledgment was very special. The program connected me with industry professionals and some of the top casting directors, and I also got to participate in workshops. It’s nice to be able to have those connections, because the acting industry is a community — one that you really need.
Your first novel, tentatively titled Dancing Against the Night, is now being considered for publication. Tell us about it.
One of the main things I wanted to do was combine prose and poetry. The book is set in Toronto and follows a ballerina who struggles with depression. It’s inextricably tied to U of T because I conceived it here and workshopped a lot of the early parts in various creative writing classes. I worked with some amazing professors — for example, Robert McGill, Ian Williams and Katherine Kuitenbrouwer. It touched on a really formative part of my life, and on an important subject. I wanted to write about mental health, and the struggle we all have to feel seen.
On Canada Reads, you championed Tea Mutonji’s Shut Up You’re Pretty. Who are some of the writers who inspire you?
I really like James Baldwin — I finished Giovanni’s Room a few months ago and it haunted me. I honestly don’t think he wrote enough! I’ve connected with Toni Morrison as well. I recently read Elizabeth Smart’s By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept and thought it was phenomenal. When I first read it, I didn’t connect with it, but I think I was approaching it the wrong way; I was reading it like a narrative, when it’s really a prose poem. As a reader, when you go into a book with expectations, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
You’re graduating with a major in English, and a double minor in philosophy and classical civilizations. Why did you choose that program?
I chose my degree based on the subjects I’m passionate about, and I do think that’s how I like to live my life. I love to read, and I always knew I would study English. In every lecture I was invested; I wanted to push myself; I was fascinated by what I was doing. When it came to philosophy, I loved the structure — dissecting arguments and studying reason. I also think studying philosophy is a great way to get to know yourself. Finally, I studied classics because they’ve inspired so much of everyday life. You can see references to them throughout literature.
Sometimes people ask why I didn’t study drama. I think the fact that I didn’t makes me much more of a well-rounded performer. The more you can pull from different life experiences, the stronger you are as an actor.
As you graduate and go out into the world, what problem would you like to solve?
Growing up within the Black diaspora in Canada, I would say that telling Black stories was always at the forefront of my mind. When I was young there was almost no media showcasing Black people; in the books I was reading, the TV shows I was watching, there was nobody who looked like me. When you grow up and you never see yourself, you start to hate yourself. You feel invisible.
I’m happy now for the strides we’ve made since in representation. I have a bunch of little sisters, and I don’t want them to have the same experiences I did. To create art is to represent things that might be uncomfortable — that’s the artist’s creed. My goal is to keep telling stories that shed light on humanity, especially on the struggles that so many of us have faced.