Tarryn Wyngaard gets romantic in Gebokste Liefde

In the Showmax Original romantic comedy Gebokste Liefde, SAFTA winner Tarryn Wyngaard (Devil’s Peak) portrays Suma-Lee, a divorced single mother with a string of bad luck. First, she loses her job, and then finds out her ex-husband, Dries (Roche Killian from Plaasjapie) is about to get married… to a model (Emma van Heyn from Eksie Perfeksie and Matilda en Matthys). Suma-Lee takes up boxing to deal with her mounting frustrations – and her coach, Clive (Jandre le Roux), turns out to be the gym’s main attraction. But his life is as messy as hers … 

Also look out for two-time Silwerskerm winner and three-time SAFTA nominee Erica Wessels (Donkerbos) showing off her comedic side as Suma-Lee's boss, and Meghan Oberholzer as Clive’s unhinged ex-wife.

Watch the trailer for Gebokste Liefde

Roz Els spoke to Tarryn about starring in her first romcom, and what inspired her portrayal of Suma-Lee. 

What was your first impression of Suma-Lee?

A very elegant woman who is dissociated from her anger, and that creates more frustration for her. It was thrilling to find ways for her to release her anger in a way that suits her temperament – not in a way that would make her feel less like herself, but rather in a way that would make her feel stronger, more protective of her energy, and therefore more like herself. Her femininity is beautiful, but for it to blossom she needs to learn how to be firm with her boundaries. 

Was it ever daunting to be the film's lead, especially as this was your first romantic comedy? 

In a way no, because Zoë (Laband, writer), Annelize (Frost, director), and Vlokkie (Gordon, producer) trusted me, and that made the creative process flow easier. This was a blessing because we only had 18 days to shoot the film and there were many locations and big set pieces like the boxing scenes. I had great stunt performers like Natalie (Walsh), Christy (Morcos), and Trevor (Byrom) supporting me on those days. 

What is it about romcoms that you like so much? 

I think love has transformed – sometimes for the better, sometimes not so much. Female friendships are more appreciated these days as people struggle to find lasting connections with the opposite sex or a life partner. Blended families are also becoming more common. To have an opportunity to contribute to the story of how we're still trying to find each other, even though things get messy, was a real joy. 

I hope we can learn something from Suma-Lee. She gets humiliated and knocked down a few times by her ex-husband and her boss, and it rips at her but she's always so graceful about it. I think this is because she knows herself well enough to understand that the selfish, dismissive way of getting your power back is not her style at all. She’s elegant and graceful. She just needed to experiment with how to set boundaries for herself. Finally, she discovers that she's always held the key to her own power. This was really fun for me to explore. 

And what was it about this story specifically that you were interested in?

It interested me that the movie followed a woman like Suma-Lee. Usually, she would be the helpful wife, the devoted one. She would be a bit-part. To put her front and centre in a film has felt refreshing, at least as an actor, for me to play. I have played many survivors, women who have succeeded against all odds to free themselves. It was lovely to experience a story that's a bit gentler.

We love how the film depicts relationships between women. Could you tell me more about that?

I was happy that the best moment of her life was not getting married to the hunk as we usually see in films... And then everything goes well as we move into the future together, right? I think my friends would laugh at this outdated notion. However, it was important to have some sort of happily ever after – we just reframed it a bit. 

How did you prepare for the more physical scenes, and how challenging was it? 

It was very challenging, mostly because we didn’t have a lot of time. We shot all the physical scenes – all the running, boxing, learning to box, hiking, box fighting, rolling around the ocean, skipping – over three days straight. It was intense, and I was physically challenged in the most intense way. But it was important for me to link her transformation of mind with the transformation of her relationship to her body. Seeing how she changes, physically feeling stronger, and how that freedom and strength impact her mood, her actions and her willingness to bet on herself was just such a pleasure to lay out. Slowly, gently, but relentlessly, bit by bit she remakes herself. It was so cool. 

There is lovely chemistry on screen between Suma-Lee and Clive. What was your experience of working with Jandre le Roux? 

Jandre is a hunk with a heart of gold. There's power in that. Lots of testosterone and lots of kindness. Again, refreshing. 

What do you think is the biggest lesson that Suma-Lee learns? 

I think she sits back comfortably into herself and learns how much better she feels when she lives that way. This encourages her to keep on going, but you have to take the first step, then the next one, and then just one more and one more... 

And what lessons did you take from this experience on a personal level?

That you can be feminine and aggressive. Kick ass when you need to. But I also love the joy of being soft and warm. I prefer that type of energy; maybe it is a healthier way to live.

Why should people watch the film?

It's a feel-good movie. It is good to watch with bubbles and popcorn and friends. I hope men like it too. 

More on Showmax 

See everything coming to Showmax in February here, including new seasons of my favourites The White Lotus and Colin From Accounts; a new season of Showmax Original The Mommy Club; Soos Pynappel op Pizza, a brilliant romcom starring Schalk Bezuidenhout, and brand new spinoff series Suits: LA.