SAFTA winner Roberto Kyle on his role in Sons of the Sea

Arendsvlei star Roberto Kyle takes us through his journey of starring in the critically acclaimed film Sons of the Sea, which is available to stream on Showmax.

In the last couple of years alone, the actor has played several roles in TV series like Knapsekêrels, Die Spreeus, Fynskrif, and Afgrond. In 2020, he received his first Golden Horn for Best Actor in a Telenovela in the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) for his portrayal of Lee-Roy Foster in kykNET’s soapie Arendsvlei.

And now, Roberto is leading the cast of John Guiterrez’s Sons of the Sea, alongside Brendon Daniels (Skemerdans, Die Booland Moorde) and Nicole Fortuin (Klein Karoo 2, Late Bloomer, Flatland). This film had its world premiere at the 2021 Cinequest International Film Festival in California and won Best Film at the Durban International Film Festival in the same year. The actor, who transitions between roles so gracefully, won Most Promising Actor at the Africa Choice Awards in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2021.

In Sons of the Sea, Kyle plays the role of Gabriel, a young man who, along with his brother, steals abalone from a dead man, and they end up fleeing to escape a rogue city official. The Paarl-born actor chats to us about playing one of his most emotional roles yet and gives us a deeper look into what has become a remarkable career.

How did you get into acting and what inspired you to tell stories?

I’ve always been creative. I was very lucky to grow up in a house where my creativity was supported, particularly by my mom. I went to a music school where I studied classical solo singing and even joined the drama club.

It’s always been my dream to go into a career that would allow me to express myself creatively. I completed a BA Honours degree in Theatre and Performance at the UCT School of Drama. I think that’s where I fell more in love with the medium of storytelling.

When you received the script for Sons of the Sea, what went through your mind?

I was incredibly moved! I saw myself on every single page and thought this is the role I’d envisioned myself in. The writing was incredible. Every emotional beat in the storyline has been embroidered into my body before I picked up the script. When I read it the first time, I was like ‘look at God.’ This is why I was born – to tell such stories.

How intentional are you about the roles that you take?

I believe that stories can only fully encapsulate a group of people, a community, and culture if it comes from those people. By doing that, if those people are in the room while you’re telling their story it is intrinsically linked to integrity.

My wish is always that if people engage with my work, they engage with the work in an impactful way. With every role I play, I hope they see themselves reflected most truthfully, in worth and integrity.

Tell us more about your character in Sons of the Sea.

Gabriel is such a sweet boy who’s actually at a very interesting stage in his life. He’s kind of emerging from being a teenager into a young adult. He comes from a difficult background; he and his older brother who have to fend for themselves.

He also gets a sense of support from his girlfriend (played by Nicole Fortuin). The way she loves him, he feels that he can do anything with his life, that he can dare to pursue photography, which is what he’s good at, and something he considers as his ticket out of his generational trauma. He’s very kind and optimistic, and he’s also partially naive. You see it in the film as he gets taken advantage of by his brother (played by newcomer Marlon Swartz).

What was the preparation process like in terms of research?

We shot the film in two weeks and at the time I was also filming Arendsvlei. It was a very immersive process. We did a lot of rehearsals leading up to the weeks of filming. We went into the living room of a community member who, in many aspects, became a helping hand throughout the film. He was a direct link to the community of Kalk Bay.

So the preparation was very physical and emotional, it was very important for me to stay close to the emotions that Gabriel goes through. Because the marginalisation designed to keep Gabriel in these circumstances is also reflective of the given circumstance to boys from Paarl, where I come from. It was very similar to me in terms of my brownness, and his lack of a father figure. I had to stay truthful to that state of being.

You won the Most Promising Actor at the Africa Choice Awards. How has this changed your life?

I felt very honoured by the acknowledgment and I think I was very much taken by the fact that it was a continental award. Now my work is seen by people on the other side of the continent.

I can imagine it must have been the same feeling as when you won the Golden Horn for your role in Arendsvlei.

I mean, when I found out that I’ve been nominated for the Africa Choice Awards, I said thank you God for reminding me that I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and you see what I put into my craft. To me, it’s just important to remain truthful in the choices that I make and the projects that I take. 

Even with the SAFTA, I just thought to myself, look at God telling me that I’m at the right place at the right time in my life. I am extremely humbled by the acknowledgment. I will continue doing what I’m doing telling stories truthfully.

You worked with a legend, Brendon Daniels, on this film. Are there any lessons you took with you?

Brendon Daniels played my father in my first-ever South African TV show, Knapsekêrels, and I was completely star-struck. Both on the sets of Knapsekêrels and Sons of the Sea, I had to remind myself that this is the man I had looked up to for the longest time.

I’ve watched him in a lot of shows and movies that made me feel like I could do the same.

He has a way of depicting the characters with such gravity despite the character’s given circumstances. So whenever you watch one of his characters you want to engage with the work and, more importantly, you feel something. I think that’s one of the greatest gifts an actor can have. I still strive towards that.

What’s next for Roberto?

That’s very interesting you ask because for the past 12 months I’ve also been working as one of the directors on Arendsvlei. I’ve immersed myself in that process as a performance coach, dialogue coach, and trainee director this past season.

It’s been a year of being behind the scenes for me now. I go out into the world not just as an actor but as a television director as well. I look forward to seeing where this might take me.

Watch the acclaimed film Sons of the Sea, now streaming on Showmax.