Marco Spaumer
What’s going on in your favourite actor’s head?
Marco Spaumer is a man of many talents and interesting facts. He’s one half of a pair of twins, and the 26-year old loves singing, dancing and theatre work. But to TV viewers, he is best known as architect Tim du Plooy in soapie Suidooster (2015- current; see more on p26). As it turns out, soapies are more than just a job for Marco – they hold a significant place in his TV-viewing habits…
What was the first TV show that you and your friends acted out? My twin brother Marcel and I loved pretending to be in Passions (19992008), the soapie on e.tv – we played out the roles of “living doll” Timmy (Josh Ryan Evans, who died from heart surgery complications) and his witch owner Tabitha (Juliet Mills). Who was your first TV crush? Belle Black, who was played by Kirsten Storms in Days Of Our Lives (1965- current; see more on p23). What did you do when an intimate scene came on while you were watching TV with your family? I covered my eyes with my hands and then tried to catch the repeats on my own the next day! [Laughs] What product have you always wanted after seeing it advertised on TV? Those home-marketing ab muscle belts that promise you a sixpack exactly like the shirtless guy in the commercial! Whose TV wardrobe would you like? Connor Walsh (played by Jack Falahee) in drama series How To Get Away With Murder (2014-current). His style is neat but also modern and trendy. If you could live in any TV house, whose would it be? Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) in thriller show Big Little Lies (2017- current) because it looks out over the sea, it’s basically on the beach and it’s modern but very homely. What show are you fanatical about? Drama shows How To Get Away With Murder and This Is Us (2016- current). But I also love reality shows The Amazing Race (2001- current) and Queer Eye For The Straight Guy (2003-2007). If you could have any job behind the scenes, what would you choose? I’d love to be the floor manager – the job has a lot of demands, like keeping cast and crew happy and making sure that everything is in order and running properly. I communicate well and think that I know how to get people on the same wavelength. What show and storyline sticks out the most for you? It’s very general but any show by Shonda Rhimes (the creator and writer of How To Get Away With Murder and medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, 2005- current). She has an amazing team. And definitely the team at Suidooster, of course! Which TV character is your role model and why? Randall Pearson (Sterling K Brown) from This Is us (see p51). I’ve never seen a character with his depth and honesty before – his human side and the way he loves his family and friends is inspiring. I cry when he cries. What is your nightmare work scenario? Overthinking things and not being focused. When I can let go and just act, that’s heaven. With all the reboots happening, what show would you like to be part of? Medical drama Nip/ Tuck (2003-2010) or family drama Brothers & Sisters (2006-2011) thanks to all the drama! And if you could play any character in any current show on TV? It would be Connor on How To Get Away With Murder. He’s snarky and has a sharp tongue, but he’s also mysterious and intense. What series are you binge-watching at the moment? Queer Eye For The Straight Guy. Do you remember the last time you cried while watching a show? Distinctly! This Is Us, season 2 episode 7 in November 2017. Randall realised that his foster daughter Deja (Lyric Ross) was going back to her birth mother soon. What show inspired you to become an actor? ’90s sitcoms Friends (1994-2004) and Will & Grace (1998- current), as well as Nip/ Tuck. And if you could change anything about your character Tim, what would it be? I think I’d like to give him more patience and understanding and a much longer fuse. He’s so angry! [Laughs]