When Camilla Waldman joined Generations in 2004, she says she was only meant to be on the soapie for only three months, but managed to stay for four years playing Anne De Villiers. She says TV came late in her acting career and if it wasn’t for the other actors on set helping her, things could have gone the other direction for her. “I was terrified because I had never worked in such an intense environment. The other actors really helped me. I was scared of the camera,” reveals Camilla, who has also appeared on Isidingo and Rhythm City.
LACKING CONFIDENCE
The actress can't control her excitement when she speaks about joining the SABC youth soapie, Skeem Saam. “Chef Marlene is very different to any character I have played before. She is very unglamorous; no high heels, make-up, nails and all that. She is prejudice and racist, but doesn’t realise it,” she says about her character. She portrays all her characters so convincingly that it’s quite surprising that as a child, being an actor never crossed her mind. She says she was a quiet child who lacked confidence. “I didn’t think I had the confidence to be an actress. I didn’t have much exposure to drama. But I did a few plays in school and I loved it. I found a place that I sort of fitted in,” she says about how she discovered her love for acting
SHE DIDN’T REALLY HAVE HER MOTHER'S SUPPORT
Although her mother is now proud of her, Camilla says her mother was not quite on board with the idea of her child being an actor. Her mother was only encouraged by the fact that her daughter had a direction she wanted to pursue. Camilla understands her mother’s fears as she has gone through the ups and downs that come with being in the entertainment industry. “It’s not easy being an entertainer and the work isn’t consistent. It’s hard being a mother of two and relying on acting for an income. It gets harder as I get older because of responsibilities. Being unemployed can be hard on your morale and you feel useless,” she says.
THE MOTHER HEN
The drive to provide for her family is what makes Camilla, who is not married, to get up when she’s feeling down. She says her two children, Hector (19) and Scarlet (8) come first. "When jobs are hard to find, I communicate this to my children so that they feel like they’re part of the team. I have always wanted to have children and being a mother is my most important work."
