Posts in Category: Interview
Sarah Snook on playing Shiv in Succession
With 13 Emmys under its belt already, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2020 and 2022, Successionis now more than halfway through its fourth and final season, with new episodes arriving every Monday, first on Showmax in South Africa.
The sale of Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Emmy winner Alexander Skarsgård from Big Little Lies) is looming ever closer. It’s a prospect that provokes existential angst and familial division among the Roy children as they anticipate their diminished cultural and political influence once the deal is completed.
Created by Oscar nominee Jesse Armstrong (Veep),Succession is currently the second most popular show worldwide on IMDb, where it’s the 61st highest-rated show of all time, with an 8.8/10 rating from over 180 000 people. Season 4 has a 97%% critics’ ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, with Vulture calling Succession “a shining example of the best qualities of TV” andIndiewire hailing it as “the end all, be all of TV.”
We spoke to Sarah Snook about the show and her Emmy-nominated role as Logan’s only daughter and would-be Roy empire heiress, Siobhan, aka Shiv.
Why is Succession ending?
Jesse is a pretty smart guy. When he sees that something is really good and hasn’t yet faltered or slipped or failed in a dramatic way, it’s pretty bold to take it out when it’s at the top. He’s never been pressured to make commercial decisions; that’s a pretty rare experience. And I think, yeah, he’s making the right decision.
Kieran Culkin says when you were all told about the end of the show, you were hit pretty hard…
Yeah, I was! I was really upset. I’d only just finished reading the episode in the car on the way to the read-through. And it was strange, because I felt like, “Oh, well, it’s definitely done, seeing how it ends here [on the page].” But then, when I got there, Matthew [Macfadyen, who plays her husband Tom Wambsgans] was like: “So! Sounds positive! Doesn’t seem like it’s gonna end!” Then when we got in, Jesse told us it was ending. That’s hard to hear definitively. But also it was good, because I did all my grieving, and catharsis, and crying, then, and then was able to enjoy the shooting of episode 10 more.
How satisfied are you with the conclusion of Shiv’s story over these final 10 episodes?
As an actor, totally satisfied. Absolutely. There’s been so much complexity and interesting angles to play, and scenes and emotions. And there’s a sense, really, that the characters will go on beyond the final curtain. I really appreciate that from Jesse.
Compared to her brothers, how does Shiv feel towards Logan at the start of Season 4?
I don’t think she’s particularly more or less empathetic towards her father. I think she feels just as betrayed by him as she does by her mum, and also by Tom. She feels a little bit naked in terms of her family relationships. There’s not too many people she can turn to in the family. And she’s stuck with her brothers for the first time, in a way. And that’s unfamiliar territory.
Does she feel a deeper hatred because she’s the only daughter, and she’s been marginalised by the patriarchy more than her brothers?
I think for sure, definitely. She’s very similar to Logan in a lot of ways. One of those ways is that Logan comes from a background of feeling like he was the underdog. He had to fight for what he got, he had to work his way up, and scrap and get to the top in the way that he did. Because he had something to fight against. Shiv, in a similar way, has that to fight against in her family dynamic. She’s got her father, and her brothers. And being the only woman in a male-dominated industry [means] circumstances are against her. And she has ambitions, so she has to fight against all those.
How does Shiv feel about teaming up with her brothers this season?
Shiv wants to believe she can trust her brothers but has – always in the back of her mind – just that little voice saying, ‘Watch out.’
This season Shiv and Tom seem to be headed for divorce but are also trying out games like ‘bitey’?
I thought Jesse had just written it and then Lucy [Prebble], one of the writers, was like, ‘No, that’s a game my brother and I used to play.’ It was so much fun. It’s such a different route for them… in how they would solve problems previously, where he would be more subordinate to whatever Shiv desired. I’ve always felt that part of her attraction to Tom in the first place was that she probably knew that he was a bit of an asshole at work, and being able to have someone like that in her power is attractive. Weirdly it [bitey] doesn’t hurt so much; I strangely could stand a lot more pain of biting than I thought.
You announced your own pregnancy at theSuccession premiere; congratulations. Shiv is also pregnant; how is she feeling about that?
Shiv has some pretty complicated feelings about becoming a mother. She’s in some ways feigning indifference, because it’s one of those things that’s almost too hard to face, and Shiv doesn’t like dealing with emotions. It’s easier to repress things. There’s a competitiveness against her feelings with her own mother and her desire to better her own mother’s maternal qualities, but a fear that she probably won’t be able to do that. A fear and a frustration that all the things she’s working toward and aiming toward, she may not now be able to achieve because she will be a mother as well as a businesswoman and, how do these two things coalesce in her life? She hasn’t really considered that as a path for her life and so it’s quite a shock.
Why hasn’t she told Tom yet?
It’s too complicated, I think. It changes too much. There’s too much going on … Her father just died. There’s so many business machinations happening. To then bring Tom into it in a familial sense would confuse it again. She doesn’t know how she feels about it herself. In a way, I think she would prefer to decide what her own feelings are about this before she has Tom’s feelings muddy the waters.
Forty episodes, 40 hours: what’s been your favourite scene to film?
Oh, there’s a lot! Anything with Matthew or Kieran have been highlights. They’re always the most fun. And any scene where we have the four siblings together.
What can viewers expect from this final season?
It comes out like a bull out the gate. It’s pretty relentless. There’s high drama, high stakes. It’s a very conflict-heavy season, and [full of] their attempts to resolve those conflicts.
How did you feel filming your final scene?
We shot out of order, so the final scene that we shot on the last day of shooting was one that was quite playful and fun. It was in a kitchen. It may not make the cut, but it was the right thing to end on, because there was a silliness to it, I guess. So, at the end, it didn’t feel like the stakes were as high as they would be with a scene that might have ended with us needing to cry or anything like that. Because once the camera wrapped, once they called cut, everyone was crying anyway!
If you think back to that first table read for the first episode of the first season on the day of the 2016 US presidential election, how has being on this show changed your life?
Enormously. Who I am now compared to who I was when I was 27, there’s been enormous changes in my own personal life as much as there have been on the show. And the show has been there the whole time. I’ve grown as an actor. I’ve grown as a person. I certainly have a different – well, hopefully! – career trajectory. I’ve had a different experience in what I’ve been challenged by in this job. And I’ve done so much travel with the job! I’ve met so many amazing actors and amazing collaborators and creatives! It really has changed my life.
Watch the S4 mid-season trailer:https://youtu.be/1UdLrRbHmr8
Watch Succession on Showmax:https://www.showmax.com/eng/tvseries/yous6pmy-succession
Must-watch: first trailer for Showmax Original murder mystery Donkerbos
It’s quiet here. Dead quiet.
Showmax has just dropped the first trailer for Donkerbos, a moody Showmax Original murder mystery from writer-director Nico Scheepers (Nêrens, Noord-Kaap, which won Best Editing: TV Drama at the 2022 SAFTAs). Produced by Nagvlug Films (Skemerdans, Barakat), Donkerbos premieres on Showmax on 29 November 2022, with new episodes every Tuesday until 17 January 2023.
When the bodies of six children are found in the backwater forests of Donkerbos, Limpopo, an ostracised detective (multi-award-winner Erica Wessels from Dwaalster and i am ALL GIRLS) must wrestle with her dark past, her family and a distrustful community to catch the killer before another child is taken.
The star-studded cast includes SAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Thoko Ntshinga (The River), Fleur du Cap winners Sanda Shandu (Skemerdans) and Nicole Holm (Fynskrif), Silwerskermfees winners Stian Bam (The Story of Racheltjie de Beer), Jacques Bessenger (Fynskrif, Warrior), Aphiwe Sithole (Poppie Nongena), Carel Nel (Gaia) and Rolanda Marais (Trackers), multi-award winners Wilhelm van der Walt (Fynskrif) and Leandie Du Randt (Vuil Wasgoed), SAFTA nominee Nicola Hanekom (Faan se Trein) and 2022 Young Artist AcademyTM Award winner Caleb Payne (Good Life), as well as Silwerskermfees Best Actor nominee Edwin van der Walt (Wonderlus).
We caught up with Wessels to find out more about the Afrikaans-English-Venda crime series, which she calls both “the best thing I’ve ever read in Afrikaans” and “the darkest thing I’ve ever done.”
Why did you want this role?
I really wanted this role. Really, really, really. It rarely happens that you audition for something and want the role so badly.
And the reason for that was the screenplay. I always wanted to work with Nico [Scheepers, writer and director]. But when I read those texts I was just like, ‘Oh my goodness, I want this!’ It’s really the best thing I’ve ever read in Afrikaans.
That’s high praise. What impressed you so much about the script?
The text is so well written. And it’s awfully dark. It’s the darkest thing I’ve ever done.
What I liked most about the scripts is not only that it is dark or the incredible characters and beautiful storyline; what was very interesting for me is that it is a thriller, but still I got so emotional.
I cried terribly while reading the screenplays. I asked myself why I was crying like that. What is it about Nico’s writing style that makes me cry so much? And then I just realised: sometimes you can’t pinpoint it.
I do think it’s partly because it’s about children, children who get hurt, and I’m a mother. Children are the most vulnerable in our communities.
Tell us about your character, Fanie.
She is a great character. She is extremely good at what she does. She is strong and abrupt and difficult, but she commands respect. She hates injustice. She is actually an incredibly good person, but under this brash, hard exterior of getting shit done. I love her.
These days there are numerous stories with women in the lead role as a flawed protagonist; it’s fantastic. Funnily enough, a lot of the roles I’ve always gotten are pretty much that type.
What I really like about Fanie is that she is very different from me. Yes, very, very different from me. For some reason I’m always cast as a Hawk, or a policewoman but I’m actually the opposite of the characters I play. My friends who know me well laugh their asses off, because I’m actually very feminine and I would never buy a firearm, for example. I’m an empath. I’m soft-soft-soft-soft, but strong.
So Fanie comes from another world, and I am delighted to take on such characters, who are completely different from me. It allows me to discover a whole new world inside someone else, which is what I love and why I act.
What have you enjoyed about playing Fanie?
Usually, even if you are a strong female character, or a protagonist that happens to be female, there is often a reasonable focus on glamour, on beauty, the exterior. This is probably just one of the languages through which we are validated.
What’s really cool about Fanie for me is that there is not that focus, which I dig. For Donkerbos, I basically don’t wear any makeup; I look like a bum every day. Wrinkles and pimples and no nails and all that.
There is something very nauseating to me about this obsession with being ageless and what it means to be a woman.
Why should audiences watch Donkerbos?
I think people are drawn to good writing and good storytelling. Watching Donkerbos, you’re going to want to know who the murderer is, and you’re going to want them stopped before another child dies, and it’s going to keep you guessing til the end. But it’s more than just a whodunnit; it’s a whydunnit too, which will make you feel empathy in ways you don’t expect.
Watch the trailer:
Bongile Mantsai on playing Hlengu – his “complete opposite” – in Blood Psalms
In Blood Psalms, the epic Showmax Original African fantasy launching on Wednesday, 28 September 2022, Bongile Mantsai stars as Hlengu, the second-born son of the chief of the Ku’ua, a nomadic tribe of wandering warriors.
Blood Psalms marks Mantsai’s third collaboration with director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka after the South African Oscar entries Knuckle City and Sew The Winter To My Skin. Mantsai won Best Actor at both the SAFTAs and Durban International Film Festival as ageing boxer Dudu Nyakama in Knuckle City, which also earned him an African Movie Academy Award nomination. Mantsai also has SAFTAs for his performances as Vija in the Oscar-shortlisted The Wound (Inxeba) and Mthunzi on Scandal!.
In Blood Psalms, the likes of the Akachi and Great Nziwemabwe look down on the Ku’ua for their simple existence. Hlengu longs to return his tribe to their former warrior glory. Although his father, jolly chief Xemantso (Vusi Thanda from The Queen), made peace with the Akachi, Hlengu believes war is the only way. First, though, he’ll have to find a way to inherit the throne ahead of his level-headed brother, Qotha (two-time SAFTA winner Hamilton Dlamini from Five Fingers For Marseilles). But Qotha’s wife, Lala (Soso Rungqu from Isidingo, Generations: The Legacy, Tjovitjo), is determined to be queen – whatever it takes.
Other key Ku’ua characters include Kuthala (SAFTA winner Thishiwe Ziqubu from Tell Me Sweet Something and Hard To Get), the tribe’s fiercest warrior, and Toka (SAFTA winner Zolisa Xaluva from Gomora), who has turned his back on the Ku’ua to become general of the Akachi army.
Blood Psalms producer Layla Swart says the Ku’ua are the forefathers of the Nguni tribes. They’re easy to identify in Blood Psalms. “The Ku’ua Kingdom is pretty much a leather and skin kingdom,” says SAFTA-winning costume designer Pierre Vienings (Five Fingers For Marseilles). “Their great warriors are bare-chested. We want to show their scarification and their physique, so you understand that these are the great warriors that travel the plains of Africa.”
We caught up with Mantsai to find out more about his role in the biggest and most ambitious series Showmax has ever made:
What has been the most challenging part about portraying Hlengu?
He is a true warrior; he believes in war and fighting. He is constantly defending himself and is always ready to fight. He is very barbaric and intimidating.
Whereas on the other hand, I’m naturally a soft and reserved guy – the complete opposite of who Hlengu is. So portraying Hlengu was a fun challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed pushing my limits to bring this character to life.
Are there any parts of Hlengu you see in yourself?
Hlengu is a very family-oriented man. He is extremely protective over his family and loves them dearly. He may have a tough exterior and hardly shows affection, but his priority is always his family and his people. We are similar in that way; I’m a family man and very close to my loved ones.
You’ve worked with Jahmil on projects like Sew The Winter To My Skin and Knuckle City and now on Blood Psalms. What do you think makes you gel so well creatively?
Jahmil is a great director; he constantly challenges me to push the boundaries.
We know each other so well; we have built a strong understanding and trust. He helps in making sure that every character I play is different from the previous characters I’ve played in his projects.
There is also a mutual respect that has grown over the years between us and I appreciate that we can be open and honest with each other.
I also appreciate how Jahmil is able to explain his vision so vividly yet at the same time offer a safe space for me to become the character he’s envisioned.
Talk us through your prep for this role.
Jahmil took me through the character’s family traits, motivations and flaws. He really got into the background of the tribe and how they fit into the world of Blood Psalms. Jahmil intricately fleshed out each character and that helped me a great deal in getting into character. It was the first time I got so much assistance with preparing for a role.
We also did a lot of physical training, including boxing and rigorous boot camp sessions, to get into shape. I thoroughly enjoyed that; it was so much fun! The physical training helped a lot when it came to fully immersing myself into the character.
What do you think viewers will appreciate about this production?
The attention to detail throughout the entire production, from the sets to costume and makeup.
The storyline is strong, the ensemble cast is brilliant, and there is a cast member or character for everyone to love.
Overall, Blood Psalms is going to change the South African streaming landscape and viewers will appreciate the quality of the work.
Premiering on Showmax on 28 September
Shot in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and North West provinces, Blood Psalms is a Showmax Original in partnership with CANAL+, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the Eastern Cape Economic Development Corporation (ECDC), the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the MultiChoice Innovation Fund, which supports South Africa’s most exciting entrepreneurs, enabling them to bring their unique, innovative and creative business ideas to life.
The first two episodes of Blood Psalms will premiere on Showmax on 28 September 2022, with new episodes every Wednesday until the end of November 2022.
Add Blood Psalms to your Showmax watchlist:
Watch the trailer:
Watch the Ku’ua tribe introduction:
Meet Naledi Gaisang K Noge joins The Wife as S3 lead
Today is Gaisang’s first day on the set of the record-breaking, Twitter-topping Showmax Original telenovela The Wife, inspired by Dudu Busani-Dube’s bestselling novels.
Naledi, a doctor, starts falling for fan favourite Qhawe Zulu (Kwenzo Ngcobo), dubbed ‘the Woolworths of amadoda’ by Twitter. Like Hlomu and Zandile, she’ll come to understand that loving one of the Zulu brothers means loving all of his dark and tumultuous past. As much as she will enjoy the trappings that come with being the wife of one of those rich, handsome, powerful and dangerous men, she must also live with the inherent danger that remains.
We caught up with Gaisang to find out more:
What has your connection with Kwenzo been like? Today is my first day on set but I’ve obviously interacted with Kwenzo and the chemistry is there. He’s very kind and has been very helpful in assisting me with anything Naledi and Qhawe related. We both care about the story and are looking forward to telling it. So it’s been fun.
When did you start acting?I started working in the industry professionally in 2018; I’ve done some stage, some commercial work and some other TV stuff. I also play Mampho in House of Zwide. She’s fire: she’s very spicy and goes for everything and anything she wants.
How did your casting process for The Wife go?As actors, this is what we do all the time: we audition. But I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous casting before; I guess it was because I just loved Naledi so much. She’s sweet and loving but she’s also reactive. Some people call it crazy but I think it’s passion. She expresses her love and isn’t afraid to give you her heart.
Did you feel pressure coming into The Wife series?I’m stepping into this role that already exists and people love so much. It’s scary. There is a level of pressure because the performers in this story are brilliant, and people love this story so much, so you don’t want to let them down. But the advantage of playing Naledi is that, even in the actual story, she just joined the world out of nowhere. She’s an outsider; she has no relations. So I use that energy to my advantage. I’m not like anyone else; I can’t be like anyone else. All I can do is be Naledi. The only shoes I have to fill are hers. Nobody else. Everybody’s unique and perfect in their own way, so I’m going to hold onto that as my guideline.
How are you preparing for this role?I obviously read the book, so I take a lot from the book: the essence of who she is, her mannerisms, the things that she does. I started using nude nail polish because that’s what Naledi does. I’ll eat a certain type of food because she does that. I started copying a lot of the way she lives in my own life. And I ask a lot of questions. I ask the creative director, Mr Fiks, and I ask Kwenzo questions as well. It’s just a matter of constantly reflecting and thinking. I also started watching some medical stuff, to get the feel.
How similar are you and Naledi? We’re both very strong. She moves; she carries on. We’re both disciplined. Naledi is stubborn. I can also be stubborn. I don’t like to say it out loud, but apparently I’m stubborn. She is, to a certain extent selfless, although that’s so hard to read. Look, some people may disagree, but I will always defend my characters. The big difference between her and I is that I did not go to school for seven years to study to be a doctor. I also don’t know if I would stay if I found out my man is a killer or comes from a family of gangsters.
Watch The Wife only on Showmax, with new episodes every Thursday:https://www.showmax.com/eng/tvseries/illlj7pc-the-wife.
Meet Londie London The New Girl on Showmax Hit Reality Show The Real Housewives of Durban
Season 2 of the Showmax Original The Real Housewives of Durban launches on 28 January 2022, with new episodes following every Friday.
Londie London is one of three new wives featured this season: she’s a musician, actress and jewellery designer who recently returned to Durban with her husband, businessman Hlubi Nkosi, and baby boy, Uminathi.
We chatted to her to find out more:
Why did you decide to be part of this franchise?Since I’ve become a wife and a mother, I thought it would be a great idea for the public to see how I’m rebranding myself. People know me as this sexy singer, but they don’t really know my personality and what I’m about outside of the entertainment industry. So when I got the opportunity to be one of the housewives, I thought it was a great way for me to connect with a new audience.
When you told your husband and your family that you were joining The Real Housewives of Durban, what was their reaction?My husband is not a person that likes to be in the public eye; we are the total opposite. So he was a bit skeptical of course, but he was like, ‘Okay, I think this is a great opportunity for you.’.. I know that he’s a bit uncomfortable with being on camera, but he’s happy about it.
My mom is technically part of the show, so she was like, ‘By default I’m also a housewife…’.
How was your experience filming your first reality show?Wow, it’s a lot of work. It’s tiring, but at the same time it’s fun. I used to be based in Joburg, so now that I’ve moved to Durban I don’t really have a lot of friends yet. So it was nice to have people who work hard and who are also able to have fun. I’m just enjoying having new friends, basically.
What took the most getting used to? Being on camera for long hours or putting your personal life out there?Putting my personal life out there was the most challenging part for me. I had to bring my mom in and my husband. My child is going to be on TV as well and I haven’t even posted his face on social media. At first, I was like, ‘Do I really want to do this?’. But I was like, ‘Okay, for once, let me just tell my story’, you know, rather than letting other people do it.
What does Londie London bring to this new season?I think I bring some sassiness and fashion looks, of course, and I’m just fun and I’m funny. I’m also one of those people that helps and enjoys creating a bond with other women.
Jojo [Robinson] and I are the new girls and with our personalities we’re very similar. We laugh a lot, so in a way we’re what brings the ladies together.
Did you have your stylist on set?I do have people that are custom-making my outfits: Willet Designs Couture and Styles by Dumi. Those are the people that I’m working closely with in terms of creating the looks that I need for the show.
Who would you say you have learned the most from on the show and why?Wow, that’s a tricky one. I think I’ve learned something from each one of the other housewives.
They’re all quite different, but I like LaConco because she’s more outspoken. Oh, gosh! She’s just comfortable with being herself. That’s one thing I love about her.
Sorisha, she’s just teaching me how to be a calm person.
And Annie is just herself: very outspoken and out there. She doesn’t take sh**t. She is my friend, so I’ve known that for a while.
Who was your favourite housewife on Season 1 and why?I don’t know; it keeps changing with every episode. Annie has always been my fave ’cause she’s my girl and I can definitely say LaConco was one of my favourites, even though she came in a bit late.
So far, is there anyone you didn’t quite gel with?Well, obviously when the show was starting and we were still shooting episodes 1 and 2, there were awkward moments here and there, but I wouldn’t say we didn’t gel. Nonku and I had a bit of a rough start, but we’re good now.
What will the viewers take away from watching this season?I feel like with the old cast, the viewer is going to connect with them more and get to know them better. Most of them are returning for Season 2, so I feel like this season the viewers are going to see the ladies in a more comfortable state and they’re going to be more open, which is going to be nice to watch.
Do you think you would ever consider a full-time career in TV?Definitely; why not? Presenting, acting, or reality shows, I’m that girl. Bring it on!
Do you have any advice for housewives who would like to join this franchise in future?I would say you must be willing to make time, because, wow, it’s a lot of time. It’s a lot of work and I would also say just make sure you’ve got a 24-hour nanny because there will be some long nights when you’re away from your kids. But you can learn a lot from the other wives, and it’s fun. If you’re a person that likes to be out there, that loves meeting new people and trying new experiences, you’ll like this.