Camilla Lilly Waldman is a familiar face to Generations fans. Debashine Thangevelo chatted to the busy actress about her first major television role as Anne de Villiers, the Madam of a high-class brothel.
It's Tuesday morning and Camilla Lilly Waldman - who plays the role of Anne de Villiers, the Madam of a high-class brothel - had an early call on the sets of Generations.
She has been hard at work since just after the crack of dawn. However, I eventually get the opportunity to chat to the busy actress when Waldman manages to steal herself away from the set for a short spell.
After we exchange pleasantries, I can't help but flash back to my earlier interviews with her co-stars - Sonia Mbele (Ntombi Khumalo) and Mmabatho Montsho (Lumka Dlomo), who held Waldman in high esteem. Their reason is now apparent to me - Waldman is a remarkably genial person.
There is an unmistakable lilt in Waldman's voice which I presume is due to her acting career soaring to greater heights. The ravishing actress laughs and quickly points out that it is simply because she tied the knot with her long-time beau somewhere in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in December last year.
She also reveals she was previously married to actor Jamie Bartlett, who played the role of Mike in Isidingo and that they have a 7-year-old son, Hector. Waldman continues with a brief background. She attended the University of Cape Town where she attained her BA and Performers Diploma.
"I remember being very scared when I arrived at drama school. However, I decided to see where the road would lead me," she recalls.
When she completed her studies, Waldman remained in Cape Town for two years and worked at the Jazzart Dance Theatre. "At that time, everything was very politically focused. I enjoyed doing physical theatre and finding different ways of expressing myself," Waldman says.
She also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in London where she did a one-woman-play. Having decided to stay on a bit longer in the UK, Waldman grew very homesick and headed back to South Africa.
Back in Jozi, she gained employment as an actress mainly in theatrical productions at the Market Theatre, where she also taught theatre. While Waldman has appeared in home-grown productions like Gaz'lam and The Res, her roles were minor.
"My role as Anne in Generations has been more consistent - making it my first major role. Working with so many different actors has also been amazing and rewarding."
Despite many actresses turning up at the audition for the part of Anne, the producers found Waldman to be the best woman for the job.
"It was very exciting to turn up at the Generations studios for the auditions. I can only credit my success in bagging the role to hard work and perseverance. I have been in the theatre industry for over 10 years and, I must admit, there were times when the going has been tough and you start doubting yourself," Waldman explains.
Of course, the switchover from theatre to television took some getting used to for the actress as she had to get used to working with a multi-cam and things moving at a faster pace.
"Playing the role of Anne has been very exciting because you are working with one character who is constantly growing. There has been a lot of transformation in the woman I am playing now to the one who first appeared on Generations.
"Personally, I am not as confident as Anne nor am I interested in getting ahead by using any situation to my own benefit. I am more concerned with being a good mother and partner. I am closer to my feelings than she is," she says.
Although Waldman enjoys working with the entire Generations cast, the actress draws attention to her more "fully-fledged" relationships with a few.
"I work closely with Rapulana Seiphemo (Tau), Clint Brink (Bradley), Linda Sokhulu (Cleo), Mike Mvelase (Kaphela) and Vusi Kunene (Jack) and everyone is very helpful and giving.
Rapulana is a great actor and a real gentleman who always helps me out in the tricky scenes. Clint is fantastic, as is Mvelase and it has been a great honour to work with Jack. I have admired most of these actors from a distance and it was nerve-wracking working with them in the beginning," she confesses.
Waldman has not given any serious thought to her future job prospects as she firmly believes in being a good mother and partner and, beyond that, taking each day as it comes.
"I get very excited about some of the South African films that have emerged and I am keen to be involved in the making of a South African movie."