Fashion Force Africa Magazine

Kristen Raath shares her funniest and most embarrassing moment on the set of “Wyfie,” a popular Showmax series, as she talks about her role and experiences in this university drama.

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In exciting news, the Showmax Original “Wyfie” has received a nomination for Outstanding Use of Locations at the Global Production Awards, presented by Screen International. The university drama will be competing against notable Netflix productions shot in Norway, including “Troll” and “Ragnarok,” at the awards ceremony in Cannes, France on 20 May 2024.

One of the standout aspects of “Wyfie” is its incredibly realistic sets, which sometimes led to unexpected moments during filming. Kristen Raath, known for her role as Kyla in the series, recalled a particularly humorous and memorable incident from her time on set.

Kristen shared, “The funniest and most humiliating moment for me was on the first day of shooting. It was a day dedicated to Kyla’s scenes, and one of the sets featured a kitchen with a sink. However, what I didn’t realize was that the sink wasn’t functional – there were no pipes or connections. In one scene, I had to wash dishes, and I instinctively pulled the plug out of the sink, assuming it would drain. To my surprise, a small amount of water started flowing. When I tried to plug it back, it was too late. Water flooded almost the entire ‘grot’ (our home on the show). Kyla nearly destroyed the set before the series even began! (laughs)”

Kristen, previously recognized for her role as Amorey in “7de Laan,” has received widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Kyla, the more reserved member of a group of mismatched first-year roommates at Pantera res in the fictional Eike university. She stars alongside talented actresses Beáta Bena Green (from “Arendsvlei”), Celeste Loots (known for “One Piece” and “Trompoppie”), and Mienke Ehlers (featured in “Dinge van ‘n Kind”).

The series, produced by the acclaimed Homebrew Films (known for “Trompoppie”), is available for binge-watching on Showmax, with the first 26 episodes (out of 45) ready to stream.

Amanda Tremeer-Young recently had the opportunity to sit down with Kristen to discuss her experiences and insights into her role in “Wyfie.

What is Wyfie about?

Wyfie is a chaos adventure.

Tell us more about your character, Kyla.

Kyla is from a small town. She is very religious and very in control. She is a very good student, with a lot of pressure on her because of the responsibilities she has. In general, she is not the ideal student when it comes to partying, but she is the ideal student for a lecturer because she studies when she needs to study. (laughs)

Does Kyla’s university experience reflect your own experience of being a student?

I completely resonate with Kyla. A hundred percent. I think I was Kyla when I was younger, and now we’re learning a little bit from each other.

I studied through Unisa for my IT degree, so I can’t really talk about the university days. But what is so precious is that Kyla is actually just a bit of a recluse. She doesn’t go out, she doesn’t live a life outside of a book, and I can relate to that quite a bit. At Unisa, I had to teach myself, and I also locked myself away like that, very similar to how Kyla keeps herself behind the books.

It’s so wonderful because now I’m also experiencing university through this series – by telling these stories, it’s as if I’m at university and it’s a lot of fun!

Tell me more about the other actresses and how you get along as a team. Does the friendship between the characters reflect the friendships with women you have in your own life?

Definitely. Beáta [Bena Green], who plays Shay, was also involved in my previous project and we are best friends. 

I don’t have many girlfriends, but all of us instantly clicked. We had seen a lot of each other on social media and liked each other a lot. For example, Mienke [Ehlers] – her style and fashion sense are incredible. I’ve been watching her for years – which probably sounds creepy now!

I think we [the four lead actresses] were also aware of how important our bond with each other is [for the project]. That we should have good chemistry for how we would go through the project. But we didn’t need to force it. It was just so perfect; like it was supposed to happen.

Why should people watch Wyfie?

People should watch Wyfie because it’s going to push boundaries. These are stories that are not necessarily told in our language or our culture, but they are what people live, even though we are ashamed to talk about them. We’re going to step on a lot of people’s toes, but if you want to watch real stories with heart, with humour, with a heartbeat, I think you should watch this series.

Can you talk a little about your music career and where your heart lies? Music or acting?

I think by now I can definitively say that acting is my great love, but it’s still very difficult for me to choose between music and acting because I still write music as a form of therapy. For now, in this season of my life, acting is the most important to me. Maybe things will change. Never say never.