Production has started on season four of Netflix’s hit teen drama series Blood & Water. Set in Cape Town, the series follows the story of a girl who starts attending a wealthy private school with the goal of finding out if one of the school’s star learners is really her older sister who was abducted 17 years before.
Natasha Thahane returns as Wendy Dlamini, the scheming, sassy head of the school magazine committee. “I was the total opposite of Wendy,” she laughs. “She’s very fierce for her age. And now, in this season – without giving anything away – she has grown. From this one-dimensional character that we know, now we see Wendy in love. There are so many things we see her go through and I’m excited for that!”
A cast of friends
“From season one, we’ve been one big family,” says Natasha of the cast, describing how they hang out together even when they cameras aren’t rolling. As with a real family, everyone has their “thing”. Carren from wardrobe is the prankster; Dillon (Windvogel, who plays Wade Daniels) is the joker. “He’s always like, ‘I have a joke for you’ and I’m like, ‘It had better be funny!’” And in a true case of life imitating art, Tahira Kahn, who plays Mekaila Mathys, Wendy’s bestie on the show, has also become Natasha’s on-set partner in crime. “Were always eating on set – we love food! And we have great conversations when we’re together.”
Baby on board
It’s Natasha’s first time returning to set since the birth of her son a little over a year ago and the transition has taken some getting used to – especially as it means spending a lot of time in Cape Town, away from Natasha’s home city of Johannesburg. “When I’m here for a longer period, he comes with me; if not, he stays in Joburg with daddy,” she says. It’s not easy, but she’s starting to find her rhythm. “The first month was hectic, but then I got into it. I just have to do what I have to do. I have to put my mind in a proper space and understand that I have to work.”
Support system
Still, Natasha loves being part of the Blood & Water family. “Production is amazing, the cast is amazing and now, as a new mom, I’m experiencing a lot of support from channel and from production. I didn’t feel like, ‘oh my gosh, now I have a baby, my character’s going to stop’. They were very supportive from the get-go and still are. Baby’s with me. We all speak life into each other’s lives and it’s just a great environment to work in.”
IMAGE CREDIT: Julia Janse van Vuuren