Anel Alexander is an award-winning South African actress and producer, whose range and series of nuanced performances aren't just turning heads, but making her a respected and highly sought-after talent.

Anel started her professional career while studying Drama at the University of Pretoria, appearing in a number of musicals including: The Witness, Jesu - An African Portrait and Blondes, before being snapped up to play Liesl in local TV drama, 7de Laan. While Alexander has a love for theatre and musicals, she's most passionate about film, a medium that she's conquering both on-screen as an actress and behind-the-scenes with her production company.

She co-starred in Discreet, a stage-to-film adaptation, played the leading lady in the "romcom" box office sensation Semi-Soet, recently won a kykNET Silverskermfees award for her supporting role in Faan se Trein and is set to star in and produce Sink. Alexander's company, Scramble Productions, is gearing up to go into production for this hard-hitting drama about a Mozambican maid working in Johannesburg, who is forced to make a life-changing decision after her daughter drowns.

While she's at the forefront of the South African film industry, Anel makes a point of finding a balance between work and play. We caught up with the talented actress and producer to get her Top Ten Movies interview...

"In my next life I will be a Broadway musical theatre star."

I can't watch movies without...

- At home I can't watch movies without my hunky husband, actor James Alexander, my 2 doggies Jozi and Oscar... yes, we called our dog Oscar so that we could tell our friends we have an Oscar, and a fluffy blanket. But when I go to the cinema it's all about the popcorn!

Which famous people share your birthday?

- After Googling famous birthdays on 26 November, the only name I recognized was Tina Turner. So apparently not many famous people were born on the 26th of November, or I'm just not smart or cool enough to recognize their names. Oh, and Charles M. Schultz, the guy that created Peanuts. That’s worth a mention.

What is the first film you remember watching?

- The first film I remember watching was Bambi. Actually, I don’t really remember watching the film but I do remember being profoundly profoundly upset about the fact that Bambi's mother died.

What's the worst movie you've ever seen?

- It is a local movie and since I hope to have a long and prosperous career as an actress and a producer in the SA film industry, I would rather not mention any names...

Which movies have made you tearful?

- The first movie I remember crying in was Steel Magnolias. But after that, my top tearjerker is definitely Hachiko. If you are a dog person, you will get it. That movie broke me for days. I remember being at the gym the next day and just starting to bawl. I don't even cry in front of people I know! Had to SMS a fellow dog lover to get some sympathy. To this day when I see it on DSTV, I immediately have to change the channel!

Who is the most famous movie star you've ever met?

- Definitely James Alexander. He has acted with Claire Danes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Charles Dance, Andrew Lincoln to name a few. So by association I would like to believe that I've "met" all those movie stars.

What's your favourite movie line?

- "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get." – Forrest Gump

Who would you choose to play you in your biopic?

- I shot a chip commercial in Germany a few years ago and the whole week the Austrian make-up artist and the Italian wardrobe guy would tell me how much I looked like "Carly Saron". So they kept calling me "Carly Saron" all the time. Later in the week I figured out that they were actually saying "Charlize Theron", so I guess I would get old Charlize to play me.

If you could produce a movie, what would it be about?

- It would be about a prostitute and a conservative young man talking about love, life and faith and honesty and... wait, I've made that one. Uhm, it would be a fun "romcom" about a girl hiring a fake fiancé to save her job... also been there done that. Can't say too much about our third that's going into pre-production soon, but the dream film I want to produce one day: An Afrikaans magic realism film. Think Amelie but shot in the Karoo or some arb town like Koffiefontein with people speaking the 'taal'.

Finally, your top ten movies of all-time...

Movies are my happy place and I love too many movies to choose just 10, so I've tried to categorize them to make choosing a bit easier.

- Life is Beautiful (Foreign Film) ...I do what I do because I believe in the power of the medium of media, whether that be movies, theatre, magazines, radio or whatever. I believe in the power that media has to reach people, to challenge audiences and to spread and change ideologies. I have always had a desire to use that power for good, and that is exactly what a film like Life is Beautiful did. The message is profound, the acting and execution exquisite and no person with a heart that has seen that movie was left untouched.

- Amelie (Magic Realism) ...I love the genre, the quirkiness and the language. I think it was the first time I was fully exposed to magical realism and I was hooked from the first frame. I knew that one day I wanted to make something like THAT!

- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Genre-defying) ...I remember watching this film and being so inspired by the possibilities that the medium of film opened up. The magic of making movies lies in the "what if" and this film used that device in such a poignant way.

- Sound of Music (Classic Film) ...is probably the film I have seen the most in my life. I want to say hundreds of times, but my husband always says I exaggerate, so let's just say as kids we watched it until the tape was stretched. I absolutely love musicals! In my next life I will be a Broadway musical theatre star. Sound of Music is the perfect, classical musical and therefore the perfect classic film.

- August: Osage County (Adaptation) ...I have not been so completely absorbed by a film in a long time as I was with this. The script, the casting, the performances, every element of this film was carefully crafted. The ensemble was so powerful it left me dazed for days afterwards. It reminded me of why I became an actress. And then of course the fact that it was mainly a female ensemble makes it extra cool in my books. I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about Hollywood (and South Africa) being male dominated: male writers that write for male actors living in a male world... My mom’s a psychologist. I’m ok now.

- Chicago (Musical) ...notice the musical theme coming through? I literally belt out every single song when watching this. I want to be Velma or Roxy or even the girl third from the left so badly! The production design and costumes and just the way the musical was adapted for screen was brilliant. I've seen the musical on Broadway and in South Africa, and the film version does the stage show absolute justice and more.

- 21 Grams (Drama-Thriller) ...James and I went to visit a friend in LA that was studying at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. It was Oscar season and the students got to attend lectures by the 5 directors nominated for Best Directing. We were fortunate enough to hear Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu speak about 21 Grams in person. By the time we eventually got to see the film, I was just blown away.

- Semi-Soet & Discreet (Local) ...these are my babies and any mother would be wrong if she didn't list them as her 'favourites'. Discreet was made at a time when nobody was really making films independently and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do... until we made Semi-Soet! But I’m incredibly proud of what both films achieved in the local film industry, raising the bar and moving boundaries for young, new film-makers to come.

- The Incredibles, Despicable Me, Finding Nemo (Animation) ...I'm a sucker for animation, the humor and life lessons that get portrayed to young and old through this timeless medium... just gets me every time.

- The Shawshank Redemption (Drama) ...enough said.

- La Vie En Rose ...and because I'm a girl I insist on having a freebie! Marion Cotillard's performance in this film has to be one of the most worthy Oscar-winning Best Actress awards ever!

Top Ten Movies with... is a people series on SPL!NG, featuring a host of celebrities ranging from up-and-coming to established personalities from all industries including, but not limited to: Internet, Radio, TV, Film, Music, Art and Entrepreneurs. It's a chance to discover who they are, find out where they're at and to get a fun inside look at their taste in movies.