"Blood & Water" generated a lot of hype ahead of its release. Was it deserving? Yes. Critics have been pleasantly surprised by it.
And the talented cast, comprising many new faces in the industry, is a breath of fresh air.
It was a chilly morning when I got to interview Dillon Windvogel. Given the lockdown regulations, it was done over a Zoom video call.
Relatively new to the industry, fans will remember him from the movie, 'Bhai’s Cafe", which released in February. This is his breakthrough role.
Playing Wade Daniels, the principal's son, it is safe to say that he has a bit more clout over the fellow students at Parkhurst - not that he abuses the advantage.
He explained: “I also feel like, with Wade’s quirkiness and awkwardness, it made it quite easy for him to connect with any other character. He is naturally himself around the characters and I think, especially with Puleng (Ama Qamata), because of how natural it came across - her reciprocating conversation with him - it made him like her even more, if that makes sense. Wade’s interaction with Puleng was definitely based on her seeing him for him and not his awkwardness.”
Landing this break has been a huge blessing for him and it was his agent who steered him towards auditioning.
“It was a big, ‘Wow!’, and humbling, getting it, and reading through the script. To this day, I can’t believe it. I feel like I’m in a dream,” Windvogel laughed.
There are many seasoned actors in the show like Gail Mabalane, Sandi Schultz, Xolile Tshabalala and Patrick Mofokeng but it was Sello Maake Ka-Ncube, who left him feeling sheepishly tongue-tied.
He recalled: “I never had a scene with him and I was never on set with him. I met in at a script reading. I was looking down at my script when he walked in. I was like, ‘Whoa’. I used to see this guy on TV a lot. I grew up watching this big man of greatness. It took me two hours to go up to him to tell him how much I admire him. He was so chilled and nice to be in conversation with.”
Even when the living legend praised the young actor, all the starstruck actor could do was respond with, ‘Thank you’, several times and nod his head, smiling.