Bio
Michele Burgers is a South African actress best known for her role as Essa Rompkin in the international science fiction television series Charlie Jade, in 2005.
Michele grew up in the small Afrikaans community of Beaufort West in the Karoo, the desert land of the Cape Province, and spent a lot of time on her grandparent's farm.
After she completed her schooling in Cape Town, Michele joined a small drama school then went on to attain her Performer's Diploma at the Maas Phillips School of Speech and Drama in Cape Town.
During the two years that followed, Michele toured with CAPAB's Youth Company Theatre productions. On Rita Maas' recommendation, Michele went abroad to London where she studied at the Mount View Theatre for a year, and then, homesick, she returned to South Africa.
She performed in one more production with CAPAB and then moved to Johannesburg. Determined to make a living from her career, she accepted a contract with PACOFS (Performing Arts Council Orange Free State) and with PACT (Performing Arts Council Transvaal).
In the theatre, her work has ranged from Charlie's Aunt and The Caucasian Chalk Walk, for which she was nominated for a Dalro Award for Best Actress; to Babbelkous. She also appeared in Twelfth Night at the Maynardville Theatre in Cape Town.
Michele's television credits include The Merchant of Venice; Ballade vir 'n Enkeling; Meeulanders; and Veldslag, directed by Danie Odendaal, for which she was nominated for a Best Actress Award and won a Blue Fountain Award for Best Actress.
She also acted in Manakwalanners I and II directed by Chris Roots and was awarded Best Supporting Actress in TV for her role. She also had a starring role in the second season of the SABC2 drama series Onder Draai die Duiwel Rond, in 2001.
Michele made her feature debut in the Belgian production The Schoolmaster, directed by Jean Delbeke, and received a Vita Nomination for Best Actress for her role a Suzanne. She also starred in another South African film, Waati.
Another feature film was Jump the Gun directed by Les Blaire for Channel Four. Her performance of Minnie won her M-Net's 1996 Best Supporting Actress in Film award.
In 2008 she starred in the M-Net mini-series Transito.