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Cape Town – "The hair is always the challenge. Right before I swim into camera, I have to hold all the hair back and then when I swim into shot I let it go."
"It doesn’t always work out but I’m getting better at it," explains Belgian actress Eline Powell who takes on the role of the mermaid, Ryn, in the aquatic TV series, Siren.
The mermaid action-drama, which was nominated for a Teen Choice Award as the Breakout Show of 2018, had such a successful first season that it’s back for more.
This time South African viewers can join in on the action with Showmax streaming season 2 express from the US as the new episodes get released weekly.
"The underwater scenes are my favourite kind of episode to shoot. The water is lovely and warm; it’s like swimming in a warm bath. We’re wearing stretchy fabric but not a swimsuit."
Eline adds: "It’s nude and then you get some dots put on you so that the CGI guys can track your skin and change it in post. We do wear mono-fins - it’s not as big as I’d like but it’s enough to do the mermaid movements."
Siren tells the story of Bristol Cove - a coastal town known for its legend of once being home to mermaids. When the arrival of a mysterious girl proves this folklore to be true, the battle between man and sea takes a very vicious turn as these predatory beings return to reclaim their right to the ocean.
Season 2 promises a lot more mermaids and a lot more action, says the 29-year-old actress: "In season 2, Ryn is very much torn between being human and being a mermaid, whereas in season 1 she very much wanted to be part of the human world and not seen as part animal.
"In season 2 she is really torn because these mermaids come on land and she wants to be there for them, so she has to go full mermaid and be black and white. But then at the same time her journey as a human is growing, and being human means sometimes lying to not hurt someone or keep someone safe, or being gentle with feelings, or all these different nuances that Ryn didn’t know before, or love. Romantic love is very new for mermaids - they have pod love but not romantic love.
"These two worlds collide. Ryn’s journey is mainly the struggle between growing as a human or staying a mermaid, which she needs to do in order to lead her group. So, it’s very conflicting or confusing for her to go between the two."
According to Eline, she’s just as excited as the fans are to watch what the second season offers up: "We don’t see all the scenes together and I’m especially excited to see all the water stuff, because the CGI guys add so much."
DID YOU KNOW: Zimbabwean-born actress Sibongile Mlambo takes on the role of Ryn’s sister, Donna in the dark fantasy series. Click here to read more about that.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
Catch weekly episodes of season 2 of Siren express from the US on Showmax.
