Coco Blignaut
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Coco Blignaut:
(Actress - Saint Teresa of Ávila, Playwright - God's Gypsy, the real LADY M, Screenwriter: SAINT, The Book of Daniel):
Born and raised in South Africa, Coco Blignaut studied Theater at The University of South Africa, and had her first break through in Cape Town as the lead in Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding, playing the Bride. She traveled all over the world as a backpacker, surviving on little money, but enriching her soul greatly. In Paris, she studied French and Theater at La Sorbonne. She played Sandy in a French version of Grease at the legendary Le Trianon in Pigalle, Paris, and on London stages she played Nina in The Seagull, Salome in Oscar Wilde's Salome, and sang at the infamous jazz club, Hollywood Savoy in Paris. Her introduction to The Method was with Jack Waltzer in Paris. She studied with him for four years and had a breakthrough in the understanding of the craft of acting with integrity and depth. In Los Angeles, she studied for two years at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, and played Agnes in Agnes of God, an experimental Nina in The Seagull being nailed to a cross, and Masha in Chekov's The Three Sisters, at The Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood. More highlights on stage have included Abby in Eugene O'Neill's - "Desire Under The Elms", The Nun in "The Madman and the Nun", and Helen in Athol Fugard's "Hello and Goodbye". Playing Maggie in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", Coco wore a catsuit and cracked a whip to tame a blindfolded Brick. On film she has played a modern Mary Magdalene in downtown Los Angeles in a black and white film called "Iscariot", a gypsy fortune teller in a silent film, "The Kid", and Death coming to a young man on acid in Death Valley, in a film called "Starburst". Coco adapted her play, God's Gypsy, from a New York Times best selling author, Barbara Mujica's book, "Sister Teresa", about the life of the great mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila, and lectured on the play, as well as performed God's Gypsy at Georgetown University and The Gala Theatre in Washington DC, in 2016.
Coco has written three full length screenplays, of which her piéce d'oeuvre with co-author Edison Park, SAINT, the story of Saint Teresa of Avila - is in development at their film company, Rosarium Films. Also in development at Rosarium Films - Boho Hobo, an unusual story of a homeless couple in New York; the real LADY M, the story of the historical Lady Macbeth; and The Book of Daniel, a screenplay about a modern day mad prophet in Los Angeles, which bops and rocks to the soundtrack of 90s music.
Coco is also a published children's author, with three books under her belt: My Bantu Blankie (2009), Mademoiselle Puss in Provence (2016), and Hansel and Gretel - a foodie tale (published in 2020). Her fourth book - Our Young Lady of Paris - will be published in December 2022. Her book website is: www.darlingchildbooks.com
Coco Blignaut is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio, New York & Los Angeles. She falls into the category of hard-working, self-possessed, but not self-indulgent, actors at this iconic and legendary institute.
Born and raised in South Africa, Coco Blignaut studied Theater at The University of South Africa, and had her first break through in Cape Town as the lead in Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding, playing the Bride. She traveled all over the world as a backpacker, surviving on little money, but enriching her soul greatly. In Paris, she studied French and Theater at La Sorbonne. She played Sandy in a French version of Grease at the legendary Le Trianon in Pigalle, Paris, and on London stages she played Nina in The Seagull, Salome in Oscar Wilde's Salome, and sang at the infamous jazz club, Hollywood Savoy in Paris. Her introduction to The Method was with Jack Waltzer in Paris. She studied with him for four years and had a breakthrough in the understanding of the craft of acting with integrity and depth. In Los Angeles, she studied for two years at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, and played Agnes in Agnes of God, an experimental Nina in The Seagull being nailed to a cross, and Masha in Chekov's The Three Sisters, at The Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood. More highlights on stage have included Abby in Eugene O'Neill's - "Desire Under The Elms", The Nun in "The Madman and the Nun", and Helen in Athol Fugard's "Hello and Goodbye". Playing Maggie in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", Coco wore a catsuit and cracked a whip to tame a blindfolded Brick. On film she has played a modern Mary Magdalene in downtown Los Angeles in a black and white film called "Iscariot", a gypsy fortune teller in a silent film, "The Kid", and Death coming to a young man on acid in Death Valley, in a film called "Starburst". Coco adapted her play, God's Gypsy, from a New York Times best selling author, Barbara Mujica's book, "Sister Teresa", about the life of the great mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila, and lectured on the play, as well as performed God's Gypsy at Georgetown University and The Gala Theatre in Washington DC, in 2016.
Coco has written three full length screenplays, of which her piéce d'oeuvre with co-author Edison Park, SAINT, the story of Saint Teresa of Avila - is in development at their film company, Rosarium Films. Also in development at Rosarium Films - Boho Hobo, an unusual story of a homeless couple in New York; the real LADY M, the story of the historical Lady Macbeth; and The Book of Daniel, a screenplay about a modern day mad prophet in Los Angeles, which bops and rocks to the soundtrack of 90s music.
Coco is also a published children's author, with three books under her belt: My Bantu Blankie (2009), Mademoiselle Puss in Provence (2016), and Hansel and Gretel - a foodie tale (published in 2020). Her fourth book - Our Young Lady of Paris - will be published in December 2022. Her book website is: www.darlingchildbooks.com
Coco Blignaut is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio, New York & Los Angeles. She falls into the category of hard-working, self-possessed, but not self-indulgent, actors at this iconic and legendary institute.
