FAST TRACK TO FAME
The spinning culture is set to blow up, and so are the careers of the actors starring in the new local series ‘Spinners’, set in the Cape Flats gangland
The series follows Ethan, a 17-year-old driver working for a gang on the Cape Flats. Needing to support his younger brother but increasingly disgusted by gang life, Ethan discovers a possible way out via spinning, an extreme motorsport where he can put his driving skills to use. But, with a gang war looming, can he turn his life around fast enough?
A co-production between Showmax and CANAL+, Spinners won three awards at the Dakar Series festival, including Best TV Series; received standing ovations at Cannes, in Paris and at Silwerskerm in Cape Town; and was the opening-night screening at MIP Africa, generating rave reviews. Much of the praise is for the performances, especially for Cantona James as Ethan and Elton Landrew as Damien.
As entertainment website Fortress of Solitude says: “Keep an eye out for Elton Landrew’s Damien, the gangster with a soft side. The word on the street is that this role is set to skyrocket him to stardom, snagging awards left, right and centre. It’s easy to see why. Landrew steals every scene.”
Since originating the role of young Kat on stage in Kat and the Kings by David Kramer and Taliep Petersen, Landrew has had prominent roles in TV shows such as Arendsvlei, Suidooster, Sara se Geheim and Recipes for Love and Murder. In Spinners, he plays Damien, who, in addition to being a husband and a father, is the leader of a notorious Cape Flats gang.
Caryn Welby-Solomon caught up with Landrew to find out more.
Describe ‘Spinners’? It’s an exposé of a culture that’s big in South Africa but not as famous as other sports. Some have compared it to Breaking Bad, but it reminds me of Need for Speed or The Fast and the Furious.
Were you into spinning before the series? I didn’t really know about it. I’d never been to a spinning event before. Acting is great like that: we’re exposed to opportunities on set that we might not have experienced in real life.
Describe Damien? He’s a bad guy. It was interesting to play the villain for a change. I was surprised to get this role because I’m playing opposite DJ Mouton [Tony] and Brendon Daniels [Hercules] — fantastic actors. I thought I was going to be one of their sidekicks but ended up being the top boss. I’m fortunate to have worked with Ricardo Arendse [the translator] and Jaco Bouwer [the director] before, so they knew my skills as an artist. They thought I was fit to play Damien, with all his layers.
Damien is very different from Piet on ‘Recipes for Love and Murder’, but not so different from your role on ‘Arendsvlei’? I played a character called Steve in Arendsvlei, who felt similar to Damien. That character had a big impact on the Afrikaans viewing audience; people still stop me on the street because of him.
How did ‘Spinners’ come about? Benjamin Hoffman and Joachim Landau, the French producers of the show, came to South Africa to make a documentary about the culture. Their research took them to the competitions and they started connecting with people. The stories they were what inspired them to create the series.
Why did you want to be part of it? It was important to showcase the coloured community, the backdrop of the Cape Flats and the reality of where these people come from. Because gangsterism in Cape Town is a huge part of our culture and our heritage, it’s difficult playing these parts and wanting to send out a good message. These characters do exist and many young people, such as Ethan, get trapped in situations they can’t escape.
Why should people watch it? There’s an edge to Spinners, in line with young people and spinning culture. It’s going to blow up. We have wonderful actors like Cantona James, who have great futures ahead of them.
Spinners, the first African series selected in competition at Canneseries, has new episodes available on Wednesdays until December 27. Stream on Showmax.