Our Lioness - Lioness

If you didn't know the name Shannon Esra before, you definitely know it now!

Week by week we have been blown away by Shannon's breathtaking portrayal of the Lioness, Samantha Hugo.

She has completely immersed herself in the character and the story, and we have cried, screamed, and felt every emotion with her.

We sat down with Shannon at the beginning of this action-packed crime drama and asked her a few questions about her character.

Where did she come from?

Shannon started her impressive acting career when she was only 16 playing the role of Siri in the 2000 movie I Dreamed of Africa alongside the Oscar-winning Kim Basinger and Daniel Craig.

From there she has graced our screens as Yvette in Isidingo, Lauren in Life is Wild, Sam in The Lab, Sandra Stein in The River, Crystal Bae in Agent, and more recently as the stunning Candice in Still Breathing.

She has also featured in numerous other movies such as Gamechangers and Number 10 where she played the role of Katie.

Staying in character

Shannon's commitment to playing the tough-as-nails Samantha Hugo goes far beyond the show as she can be seen tweeting along with the fans every Thursday night with comments true to her character's persona.

Ummm... What is UP with Yvette???? Asking for a friend... #LionessSA #mnet101 @MNet pic.twitter.com/psGZqAXKGy
— Shannon Esra Official (@ShannonEsra) February 25, 2021

I can't WAIT for Jason to get a good, fat karma klap!! #LionessSA #MNet101 @MNet @frankbulldozer pic.twitter.com/J4eYYWyZy2
— Shannon Esra Official (@ShannonEsra) March 11, 2021

Here comes the Lioness

We have seen Sam go on an amazing journey to become the lioness and every time we catch a glimpse of her fierceness we are left with goosebumps. Here are a few moments that we had to rewatch again and again.

But nothing will compare to this scene from episode 4 where we witnessed the birth of the lioness.

From start to finish in every single episode, Shannon breathes more than just life into the character of Samantha Hugo, and fans have fallen in love with her and taken inspiration from her strong and fearless way of living. We adore her as this character and we can't wait to see how the lioness' story will end.

Will Samantha be able to prove her innocence? Join us every Thursday at 20:30 for more #LionessSA and more Shannon Esra!

Join the conversation on social media by using #LionessSA and stay up to date with the latest episodes on Catch Up with DStv or on Showmax.