julia anastasopoulos

Actress and writer, Tali’s Wedding Diary

What was the ‘aha’ moment when it came to creating the character of Tali?

I’ve had Tali in my back pocket for a while but it was about realising the direction I wanted to take her. It was only when I was planning my own wedding that I saw how much comedic scope there was in that.

How do you think the character will fare in comparison to the cult following that Suzellediy has gained?

off the bat, Tali is a much less likeable character, though she is just as funny and nuanced as suzelle. My hope is that audiences will find her lovable by being able to identify with her in some way. Comedy is becoming the playground of bold, self-aware and, often, political women. Why do you think we’re seeing this rise of the female comedian?

It’s exciting to see more women directors, writers and producers taking charge of the television world, especially in comedy. I think we’re seeing a lot more interesting roles being written by women, for women, which is very important. That being said, in south africa there is still a lack of these roles and that is one of the biggest challenges.

What’s the next big thing?

I think Ilana glazer and abbi Jacobson from Broad City and Issa rae from Insecure are ones to watch. Their comedy is diverse, brave and completely weird. What’s really inspiring, for me especially, is that their work started on Youtube. That’s an exciting space to be in.