Mzansi starlet Pearl Modiadie chats to us about her role as Kefilwe on the popular e.tv soapie, Scandal!  

Donna is on a mission against the Nyathi’s and her secret weapon comes in the form of Kefilwe, a young and feisty girl who catches Mangi’s eye.  But with a track record of substance abuse and ulterior motives, Kefilwe sets in motion the possible demise of NZH’s new CEO…

So first things first, congratulations on landing the role of Kefilwe. You must be so excited… 

I am excited! Acting is a medium I haven’t really tapped into. I’ve done radio and presenting so this is something very new and exciting for me! I’ve never sharpened my acting skills – I never went to drama school and I didn’t have an acting coach. So to tap into this market on such a large scale is amazing.

Were you a Scandal! fan before you landed the role?

Most definitely! When I get home all I really do is watch TV and Scandal! is one of the shows I love to watch. Being a part of the show only gives me even more of a reason to tune in (laughs).

Can you tell us a bit more about your character, Kefilwe?

Kefilwe is a young, 20-something-year-old woman. She’s very attractive. She goes to The Voice looking for a job and when she gets there, she manages to rattle a few feathers. Kefilwe is a feisty lady!  She’s completely different to the person I am in that she will use her sexuality to get what she wants and she discredits people to get her own way.

What do you like about playing her? Is it because she’s so different?

I feel as if there’s a dark side to all of us. The fact that I’ve been able to let that side of me come out through playing her has been very interesting. She’s an interesting character. She taps into a lot of emotions and I love that about her.

How do you think the public will respond to her?

Although we initially see a powerful side to Kefilwe, as the story line continues you start to see how vulnerable she really is. You actually feel sorry for her. At the end of the day she’s a real person with real feelings. I don’t think the public will be too ruthless towards her.

You work quite closely alongside co-star Kagiso Modupe (who plays the role of Mangi). Can you tell us what he’s like in real life?

Oh my word Kagiso is such a lovely person! I was lucky to have met him before we started shooting. He’s such a darling and has been very helpful on set. He’s been like a big brother to me – very professional. Especially since we have a lot of awkward scenes together (laughs). There are a lot of intimate scenes which could have possibly become uncomfortable but Kagiso made it all very easy.

Pearl will make her Scandal! debut on the 23^rd of January 2013. Scandal! airs weekdays at 7:30PM on e.tv.