Thembi Seete, a well-known actress, continues to pursue her love of storytelling with a brand-new, intriguing role in the upcoming drama series “Adulting” on Showmax, set to premiere on December 4.
Seete, who is known for many robust roles on screen, will play middle-aged, wealthy housewife Portia, who is at her sexual peak.
The actress has demonstrated her versatility by doing it all, from leading the kwaito scene as a member of Boom Shaka in the 1990s to hosting hit TV programmes like the dance show “Jika Majika” on SABC 1 and establishing herself as a well-known actress in films like “Yizo Yizo”, “Gaz’lam”, “Zone 14” and “Gomora”.
Seete, 46, has been a force to be reckoned with in South Africa’s entertainment industry for nearly three decades and is gearing up for her new role in “Adulting” season two.
In an interview, she unpacks her new role and says: “Portia is a housewife who has a home and a family that she loves very much. But as we know, as women, being spoiled is not enough. You still want care, love, and someone to come back home to you and say, ‘I missed you’.
“That’s the part that’s lacking in her life. Her husband gets into a whole lot of things and does no good. This gets to a point where Portia feels like, ‘I’m a woman, and I also have needs.’
“And this is when she decides, ‘I’m going to take control of my life, my happiness, and my needs.’ She goes out there to look for what’s missing in her life, and she gets it. The best thing is, she’s paying for it and enjoying it at the same time.”
Asked about the most challenging thing about bringing the character to life, she says it is the intimacy in the scenes.
“My intimate scenes have never been this intimate. It really felt like it was my first time acting, and that’s the beauty of acting. You can’t really say you’re comfortable with it because acting introduces you to different characters and different personalities. The things you get to do are always different.
“So with this one, it came with a whole lot of things that really shook me a little bit and made me uncomfortable. But I also love being uncomfortable.”
She further explains that she accepted the role because she has always wanted to work with Tshedza Pictures.
“I think they are exceptional storytellers. Also, there comes a point in life when you get tired of playing it safe. You sort of want to stretch yourself a bit and kind of surprise yourself.
“I love the element of surprising myself and not being too comfortable with the things that I do. I know a lot of people will be like, ‘Thembi seems like she’s very strict with herself, and she’s a good role model.’ But why are we so scared to talk about sex? Why are we scared to talk about intimacy?
“I think this stems from our parents because they were never comfortable enough to talk to us about intimacy. But it’s something that should be handled with respect. These are the elements I thought about: to say, ‘You know what? Sex is not a bad thing. It’s what created all of us.”
After nearly three decades as an actress, she explains how she maintains consistency in every role, revealing that she opens herself up to learning, asking a lot of questions, and making use of acting coaches.
“I explore different elements of each character I portray. It’s very possible to bring Gladys (from ‘Gomora’) into Portia if I don’t do my homework or if I’m not intentional about my moves. So I have to consistently approach my work as a student all the time and remain open to learning.”
The Star