Biography
Roxane Hayward was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She completed her final year of school at 16, giving her an early advantage. She studied Drama, Dance, and Musical Theatre for four years through Trinity College London and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance London (ISTD).
Beginning her acting and dance training at age 6, Roxane appeared in 'Jozi H' (2006, CBC) and 'Isidingo' (2007, SABC) while still in school. At 16, she relocated to Cape Town, where she began modeling and became the face of numerous international advertising campaigns. In early 2011, Roxane made her British television debut as the lead character 'Louisa' in Episode 3 of the BBC comedy 'Beaver Falls.' Later that year, she completed work on her first feature film, 'Death Race: Inferno' (Universal Pictures), playing the supporting role 'Prudence' alongside Dougray Scott. During filming, she also started recording her debut album, which was paused after she was cast as the lead role 'Angelica' in the second season of the BBC series 'Leonardo' (CBBC).
In 2015, Roxane portrayed the historical figure 'Susanna White' in the National Geographic two-part movie event 'Saints and Strangers' (SONY). That same year, she starred as the lead role 'Caroline' in 'Accident,' the first international feature film shot in South Africa with all lead roles played by South African actors.
A passionate advocate for health and fitness, Roxane began Muaythai training in 2016 under two-time world champion Quentin Chong. She became a spokeswoman for self-defense and regularly hosts seminars in South Africa focused on human rights, empowerment, safety, and self-defense techniques.
This passion led to her directorial debut with the public service announcement (PSA) 'Open Your Eyes' for HeardPSA, an international platform by the Global Sustainability Network (GSN) encouraging filmmakers worldwide to raise awareness about human trafficking and modern slavery. Roxane wrote, directed, and produced the PSA, which was voted second globally by an international panel including Quincy Jones, Wesley Snipes, and Joseph Fiennes.
In June 2017, the grindhouse-style TV series 'Blood Drive' (Universal Cable), featuring Roxane as 'Mimi Kox,' premiered on Syfy. Thanks to her dance background and Muaythai expertise, Roxane performs her own fight scenes and stunts in all her screen roles.
