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Cape Town – Craig Urbani needs no introduction.
The actor and stage performer has appeared in many television series and stage productions in South Africa.
His memorable roles include Alec Mathews in Isidingo and more recently Mickey in Ashes to Ashes.
He also appeared in the The Buddy Holly Story at the West End in London where he played the main character of Buddy.
Craig has just joined the cast of Scandal! and makes his debut on Thursday at 19:30 on e.tv (Dstv 194).
We had a quick chat with him about his role, his favourite character and found out something very surprising.
Who is Damon – what’s his character like and what can viewers expect of him?
Damon Bradbury is a successful businessman. He knows what he wants and how to get it. If that means he has to bend a few rules here and there then so be it. He has a need to belong which may be attributed to the fact that he comes from a broken family and never knew his real father. He is searching for this connection and he finds it. He quickly gets involved with the heavyweights in Scandal! like Neo, Yvonne, Layla, Siseko and Quinton to name a few. He's there to mix things up.
How is this character different from the ones you’ve played in Isidingo and Ashes to Ashes?
Alec Mathews didn't have Damon's drive and confidence. He was a far more desperate man than Damon, who was driven very much by his heart and not his brain. Mickey was a rougher, hands on kind of man who similarly to Damon has a checkered background in terms of ex-wives and broken marriages. Uncle Mickey is the guy Damon would call to get something done that he maybe wouldn't want to do himself!
You’re the ‘newbie’ on the show, how have you been gelling with the rest of the cast?
Everyone has been so welcoming in a very real and unforced way. These are professionals who love what they do and do it well. No nonsense. Just kind hardworking creative people delivering a quality product!
Before landing the role on the show, have you been following it and do you have a favourite character?
I did watch Scandal! before joining. I like to keep an eye on local productions. I found Scandal! the most intriguing and exciting from the start. I couldn't possibly choose a favourite character, that would be telling.
What do you think attracts people to Scandal! and keeps them wanting more?
Scandal! is an excellently written, brilliantly directed and superbly acted local production. The proof is in the numbers and in how classy it looks and sounds. It has a glamorous quality to it whilst at the same time it tells real, accessible stories that the viewers can relate to. The people working on Scandal! know what works and they do it well.
Seeing you on television people have a sense that they ‘know’ you. What’s one thing that would surprise people about you?
The scar on my face that people so often wonder about is from a dog bite when I was 5.
(Photo: Supplied by e.tv)
