Rapper Rouge is set to shake up prime time TV when she makes an explosive debut as the new villain in town, Darlene, on the popular soapie Scandal!, tonight.
The University of Pretoria alumni, born Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi, describes the moment as “full circle” as she will be returning to her first love — acting.
Rouge added that she can’t wait for viewers to see how she brings her role as Darlene to life. This comes as she plans to avenge her brother Sanka’s (Stevel Marc) death. Sanka was killed by Mdala (James Sithole) for having an affair with Tlhogi (Makoma Mohale).
“I can’t even believe it’s happening. The journey I’m taking with this character is that she’s somebody from the past, and SA’s most loved couple [Mdala and Tlhogi] are about to be quite shocked by her arrival,” Rougé said.
“She has come back to essentially try and get vengeance for how her family had been wronged. That is literally Darlene’s only mission.”
Rougé said she had to dig deep into her inner dark side to bring the character to life.
“Sanka went missing, but there’s no way a person could just disappear, and no one from his life would come back and ask questions. This is why Darlene, his sister, is very determined to do right by him,” said Rougé.
“At this point, Darlene is so angry, anyone can get it. All she wants are names.”
For Rouge, stepping into this role is not unfamiliar territory but rather a return to her acting roots.
“It’s quite ironic — I wasn’t initially set on pursuing music before acting. I’ve been acting since my time at the University of Pretoria, where I studied drama and obtained my degree,” she said.
“At first, it’ll be like, ‘Oh, it’s Rouge,’ but very quickly you’ll be transported into the world I was meant to create. You’re not going to see Rougé, you’re going to see the actress in me, you’re going to see Darlene.”
She is open to her fans struggling to separate her music persona from the character, but believes her performance will quickly shift perceptions.
“Everything that I’m doing, I’ve been taught. I did the research, I attended the classes, I had the coaches. So now it’s an opportunity for me to show what I’ve learnt and trained my body to do,” she said.
“It does feel like a full-circle moment. The filming process was amazing. I’ve never done a soap before, so being part of this was so interesting; trying to understand how to build a character when they’re still writing what happens next week is quite intriguing.
“I just hope this opens doors to more acting roles, where it’s not just ‘call Rouge to make songs,’ but ‘call Rouge to be in the film.’”
Rouge said her first day on set was filled with jitter. “It was nerve-wracking. Everyone knows each other, they’ve been acting together for years and then here I come. There was a lot of imposter syndrome,” she said. “But when I got there, everyone was welcoming, from producers to makeup to the cast. Everyone made sure I felt comfortable.”
While her acting debut marks a major milestone, Rouge continues to juggle multiple creative pursuits. She is set to release her new single this week, a collaboration with fellow rapper K.Keed.
“You know I love a collab. This one is with the lovely K.Keed; I adore her to death. The song is titled Siyabangena, it’s an ode to DJ Cndo. We put our own spin to her classic Amerido, and I can’t wait for people to hear the song,” said the rapper.
“I have a lot planned out for this year. An album is definitely in the works. We’re in the final mixing stages and a date will be coming soon.”
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