Potgieter problems
Charmaine has her back to the wall trying to convince Petra that she actually likes Petra’s dad Willem.
When Charmaine (Odelle de Wet, Delia in Afrikaans soap Binnelanders, 2005now, see p33) arrived in early May, the single-mom waitress made a lasting impression on widower Willem (Dawid Minnaar, Dr Franz Basson in Binnelanders until 2019) after spilling coffee on his lap. “It was an accident but there was an instant connection,” says Odelle, who says that Charmaine is the polar opposite to her usual roles which tend to be “strong and bitchy”. “It was an odd meeting but they connected – you could see it on their faces.” Someone displeased though is Willem’s daughter Petra (Trix Vivier), whose disdain for Odelle was easy to see. “There was an instant disliking there,” explains Odelle, whose character is a happy-go-lucky woman trying to make her dreams of music and singing a reality. “There is not a mean bone in her body, she just wants to smile and be happy,” says Odelle. But problems are brewing…
SINS OF THE DAUGHTER
Petra’s mother died years earlier offscreen and Petra still looks at photos of her mom and talks to her. It’s like she is holding onto her mother’s memory and with that comes the thought that Willem shouldn’t move on to another woman – thereby replacing his late wife and Petra’s mom. But Odelle says that’s not the case. “Charmaine certainly isn’t trying to take the place of Willem’s dead wife. That isn’t something, firstly that could happen, and secondly, it’s not something she would ever consider. She’s just falling for him the same way that Willem is falling for her.” The fact that they have so many things in common – like the salsa dancing that put a spring in Willem’s step in late May – makes this more of a sweet romance, despite Petra’s obvious dislike. She vandalises Charmaine’s car after Willem refuses to listen to her warnings and it’s a sore point, not to mention embarrassing for Willem.
HARMLESS & HURT
Odelle says that Petra is clouded by anger. “Charmaine isn’t after Willem’s money, I don’t think that there is much there. She is hurting because she thinks that her dad is replacing her mother. Of course she’s going to be angry, but I think when she realises that it’s love and not greed driving Charmaine and Willem, it could be a different story for the two women.” And if you’re wondering about Odelle and Dawid’s onscreen chemistry, they’ve known each other for years and have played lovers before on a previous production. “It was great because we know each other and Dawid worked on this arc – but so much more is coming,” hints Odelle.