Diamond in the rough
Kristen Raath unravels the mystery that is her character, Amorey Welman, and reveals her hidden “talent”.
It’s been almost seven years since Amorey Welman and her family moved into Hillside and 26-yearold Kristen Raath is more intrigued by her character than ever. “She’s the compass that points to true north in her family. She’s their sounding board but she keeps finding herself in these situations that don’t always make sense and they make her the centre of attention, which she’s desperate to avoid,” says the actress, adding that Amorey’s emotions can sometimes be a bit much. “I think that it’s a case of her passion for the people she loves, she’s passionate about them and she just cares. She’s a spontaneous troublemaker but she tries to do good,” says Kristen.
FAMILY FUN
Wherever there’s a Welman, there’s bound to be drama. “They’re crazy. It’s chaos wherever they go, and I’m certain that’s why our viewers love the Welmans,” says Kristen. “Amorey and her mother Mariaan (Deirdre Wolhuter) haven’t always gotten on. It’s not because they don’t like each other, they do – they very much love each other. But it’s been volatile in the past and Amorey now has come to realise and accept that she’s not exactly like her family . . . they always support her and she supports them, but there’s a definite gap between them.”
It’s somewhat different when it comes to her father though. “Amorey and Chris (David Rees) get on the best. Chris is her idol, he’s like a rockstar and she’s put him on a pedestal. He’s the one Welman who always has her back, he’s her moral guideline and they’re more alike than any other Welman,” says the actress.
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
So where does that leave Amorey and her sister Alexa (Carina Nel) and brother-in-law Fikani (Nicholas Chauke)? “Amorey agreed to be a surrogate for them and she carried their son Nelo to birth. She suffered post-partum depression and it was incredibly difficult for her to give up ‘her’ son, who is actually her nephew,” says Kristen, who admits that it was a bit daunting reading the storyline. “Surrogacy is a difficult topic for a lot of people. It’s an intimate, intense topic and I think we’ve done it justice as a show. We’ve made it real and portrayed it in a dignified and authentic way. We’ve not hidden the troubles, like post-partum from the surrogate who misses the child she’s grown in her belly, while also looking at the difficult decisions that the parents take and are put in. Thankfully Amorey, Alexa and Fikani are on the same page and they’re trying to move forward in a safe and healthy way,” says Kristen.
ROMANCE RUINS?
Earlier this year Amorey helped her on-off boyfriend Tjattas (Rikus Strauss) complete his bucket list when everyone thought he was going to die of cancer. Their relationship took strain when Amorey begged Alexa and Fikani for help saving Tjattas, betraying his trust by asking for help. “That was a tough time for Amorey. She’s still trying to live in the moment and there are still trust issues with Tjattas, who confessed his ‘actual’ love for Alexa while he was in hospital. They’re seeing where their road takes them,” says Kristen.
Don’t forget that it’s more complex than that – Tjattas dumped Amorey when boutique assistant Maxine (Lian van der Westhuizen) offered Tjattas a friendswith-benefits arrangement and Amorey did too when she worked out that Tjattas was scared of commitment (she didn’t know about
Maxine until it was too late to take back her no-strings offer. “She’s always been big on honesty,” says Kristen. “Without honesty, there’s no foundation for anything. Right now they’ve found their way back to each other, they’re a young couple without any long-term commitment so we’ll see how that develops,” says the actress.
“I want Amorey to be happy.
She needs to work on herself to be happy though. She’s got family, she’s got friends and she’s got people who love and adore her. But what she needs most right now is to work through her own demons. She’s got to fight her own battles rather than to rely on people to do things for her. It’s not like she can’t do this; she’s been fighting her own wars for years, so it’s not anything new. She just needs to stand up, be counted and take control of her situation and make things her own,” says Kristen. “It’s not that she won’t. She always just ends up in these chaotic, drama-driven situations and for once I really want to see Amorey be her own woman and have control. She owes it to herself to be the one calling the shots in her life.”
KEEPING IT REAL
Who is Kristen when she steps out of Amorey’s shoes? “I didn’t even study acting – I’ve got no formal training. I got into acting during high school growing up in Nelspruit in Mpumalanga province.” But the actress did study after school. “My plan was to take a gap year to find my calling. But I got bored staying at home every day and I fell into a depressive state. So I asked my parents to help and they enrolled me into a computer science degree with UNISA,” says Kristen, who adds that being arty helped because “it was like graphic design but with coding. I love to create, from painting and drawing, to playing and writing music. I play the piano quite well and a little bit of guitar. I love playing the saxophone though.”
Her audition for 7de Laan was a little out of the ordinary too, with Kristen being the final family member to be cast. “David and Deirdre and Carina had been cast for about a year. I was the last one so I felt out of my element because we didn’t have any bond during my audition,” says the actress. And like her character, Kristen felt an instant connection with David. “He’s given amazing support and made me feel welcome immediately.”
The best thing about being on 7de Laan, apart from it being one of the country’s biggest soapies, is that there’s a personal connection for Kristen. “My gran is a super fan. She’s never missed an episode. My mom also watches religiously and if there’s a scene she likes or isn’t fond of, she’ll tell me to watch it and give my opinion. This is a family and I love being part of The Laan.”
PREVIOUSLY
Werner tried to console his friend Marvin when the cop reached an emotional breaking point, and Aggie and Vanessa were stunned by a news report.
IN THIS ISSUE
DeWet sends his wife Bonita a gift that takes her breath away, and Amorey tries to find herself when she and Tjattas go to the informal settlement. Ivy’s allergies are getting out of hand, and Fikani is stunned when the police raid the Hillside Clinic. Khethiwe tries to help her ailing mother-inlaw Ivy, and Lesedi’s cool, calm demeanour struggles under the pressure when she meets with the Welman family.
Vanessa and Aggie have a pamper day, and Marvin tries to calm the storm in his marriage and plans a date night with his wife Ivy. Werner can’t shake the feeling of discomfort and unease, and the Peterson family come together for a night playing boardgames. Mariaan tries to make Chris see her side of the story, and Shady makes up her mind about Uys. Amorey’s current situation has her friends confused and some are concerned, and Werner tries to make his wife Tanya understand the position that they’re in and how dangerous it is. The Welmans go on the offensive when they host a press conference, Denzil is impressed by Shady’s work ethic and performance, and Tjattas doesn’t know how to thank Vanessa for the support and faith she’s showed.
CAST: Aggie Ngwenya Mimi Mahlasela •Alexa Welman Carina Nel
•Amorey Welman Kristen Raath •Augusta Visagie Hannelie Warren
•Baby Nelo Kane Khan •Bonita Meintjies Hildegardt Whites •Chris Welman David Rees •Connie van der Lecq Quinne Brown Huffman
•Denzil Jaques de Silva •DeWet Basson Dirk Stoltz •Eddie Peterson El-Kody Langeveldt •Fikani Chauke Nicholas Nkuna •Gabby Blyde Smith •Ivy Peterson Nazli George •Jermaine Adrian Steyn •Justin Dann-Jaques Mouton •Karmen Gabriella Linton •Khethiwe Sesethu Ntombela •Lesedi Moloi KB Motsilanyane •Mariaan Welman Deirdre Wolhuter •Marvin Peterson Duncan Johnson •Maxine Lian van der Weshuizen •Mieke Basson Reze-Tiana Wessels •Nozi Dimpho More
•Oom Bricks Nico Allers •Ouma Motta Khadija Heeger •Romeo Peterson Clint Aplon •Shady (Crushanda) Vermeulen Beáta Bena Green •Tanya Visagie Liezl de Kock •Thomas Fouché Vian Singleton
•Tiaan Frank Rautenbach •Tjattas Rikus Strauss •Tumi Linda Sokhulu
•Vanessa Ingrid Paulus •Uys Visagie Daniel Coetzee •Vee Peterson Zoey Volkwyn •Werner Visagie Zak Hendrikz •Xander Meintjies Theodore Jantjies •Zee (Zakhele) Ray Neo Buso •Zelda Amor Vittone