ACTRESS Thembi Seete has always played TV roles involving kasi lifestyle such as on Gaz'lam, Zone 14 and Gomora.
But now she finally got rid of that typecast and has bagged a role as a rich and glamorous housewife.
The 46-year-old Safta-nominee will play Portia on the new season of Adulting, which kicks off on 4 December on Showmax.
"I've never played the rich, spoiled and glamorous lady. It's always been township-based characters and I'd like to believe that Portia also has a township background because I kind of brought in that element as well. That's the only part where I felt like this character is bringing something new," she said.
Speaking about her character, Thembi said Portia is at her sexual peak, and she'll do anything to get attention.
"Portia is a housewife who has a home and a family that she loves very much. But as we know, as women, being spoiled is not enough. You still want care, love and someone to come back home to you and say, ‘I missed you'. That's the part that's lacking in her life."
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"Her husband gets into a whole lot of things and does no good. This gets to a point where Portia feels like ‘I'm a woman and I also have needs'. And this is when she decides, ‘I'm going to take control of my life, my happiness and my needs'. She goes out there to look for what's missing in her life, and she gets it. The best thing is, she's paying for it and enjoying it at the same time," Thembi said.
But the new character came with some challenges for the actress. She said intimate scenes made her uncomfortable.
"My intimate scenes have never been this intimate. It really felt like it was my first time acting, and that's the beauty of acting. You can't really say you're comfortable with it because acting introduces you to different characters and different personalities. The things you get to do are always different.
"So, with this one, it came with a whole lot of things that really shook me a little bit and made me uncomfortable. But I also love being uncomfortable," she said.
Thembinkosi Mthembu, Thabiso Rammusi, Nhlanhla Kunene and Luthando "BU" Mthembu are reprising their lead roles as Bonga, Mpho, Eric and Vuyani, respectively.
