South African actor Presley Chweneyagae is the lead player in 'Tsotsi,' the stirring story of a hardened gang leader who terrorizes South Africa's townships until a little baby touches his heart. It is a story of pathos, forgiveness and ultimately redemption.

Chweneyagae's journey as an actor is not that uncommon -- he grew up in the townships of South Africa (i.e., the ghetto) and his mother sought to protect him from the elements by enrolling him in acting classes. After taking a liking to drama, the young man moved to the big city to pursue his dreams, embarking on some hard, lean times in pursuit of his goal.

After mostly stage work, including a stint as 'Hamlet,' Chweneyagae snagged the lead in 'Tsotsi,' a film which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year's Academy Awards.

This is your first major film role. What's your background?

"Well, I'm from Northwest South Africa and I grew up in a township. Most of the guys I know are criminals. Some of them went to jail and some of them are dead and when I was growing up my mother didn't want me to end like up like that so I attended these drama classes. As time went on, I'd gained interest and commitment to the arts and I started understanding a whole lot of things about acting and it hooked me. This guy that I've worked with for a long time, he said I should move to Johannesburg, because there's a whole lot of opportunities there. So I moved there and I did 'Hamlet.' My agent saw me and she told me to finish my schooling first and then we could talk."

How old were you when you moved to Johannesburg?

"I think I was 18. I was by myself and those were like hard times. It was so difficult. I remember this one time there was no food; we drank coffee until our teeth went brown. But anyway, it was just a period of me learning to be responsible."

How is the film industry in South Africa?

"It's not such a big industry but it's growing. And I think that films like 'Tsotsi' and 'Yesterday' which was nominated for an Oscar last year are inspiring young filmmakers to believe in their work."

Will you be attending the Oscars?

(Laughs) "I hope so. They said something about it but I'll tell them to take me."

Have you ever visited the United States before?

"This is my first time. It's fantastic. Last night we went to see where the World Trade Center was and I've been driving around. [New York] is a nice city. Beautiful. I will be here for quite some time, but I will be traveling to L.A. because 'Tsotsi''s opening at the Pan-African Film Festival. So I'll be there and in Washington, D.C."

What are some of your favorite American films?

"My most favorite is 'Scent of a Woman.' I think it's a beautiful movie. My favorite actors are Robert DeNiro, Toby Maguire and Michael Douglas. My favorite director would be Paul Thomas Anderson ('Boogie Nights')."

Are you familiar with Kwaito music? Do you listen to it? Do you think it has similarities to American hip-hop?

"Yes, I'm familiar with it and I listen to it. Kwaito is like hip-hop in South Africa. It doesn't really sound similar but it is the music from the township. The content is the same."

Has much changed in the townships in the last ten, 15 years?

"Yes, definitely. A lot has changed in terms of how people relate to each other. In terms of the Truth and Reconciliation commission that we had after apartheid in 1994."

But there is still a lot of poverty in the townships?

"Yes, there is poverty. The location that we shot in, we have different classes. Someone can be really poor in the townships, yes, but we can always find someone in the middle and you can find millionaires."

But if you were a millionaire, would you want to live in a township?

"No, I wouldn't."

Are there a lot of homeless kids in South Africa?

"Yes, there are a lot of homeless kids but they're building these - what do you call them - something like childcare centers. Yes, orphanage homes for them."

Are you familiar with the movie, 'City of God'? How does 'Tsotsi' compare to a film like this and other films set in the ghettos of the world? Are there parallels?

"Well, they're different because when you look at 'City of God' which is a great film, like the hand-held camera says a lot. You can keep up with all those kids who are shooting each other and going crazy. It's a bit intimate. You can't really shoot 'Tsotsi' handheld in because of all these moments I don't think it would work with handheld. They're both ghetto movies but they're very different."

Why do you think a film like this is important?

"I think it's important because it's a universal story and it could be set anywhere in the world. And I think it's important for street kids and people who are homeless and even young kids who are growing up to look at the film."