Scandal-ous

So I got a call from my agent asking if I could be feature in an episode of Scandal. Now if you are not from South Africa, Scandal is a local soapie. I do not watch it and hardly know any of the characters. The most I had known was what I saw on the billboards on the streets of Johannesburg. Needless to say I was very excited about it. There is something about being on set that gets me excited. I love how they shoot, direct the actors, the set up of the studios, the make-up and hair styling. Maybe it is to do with experiencing something out of the ordinary.

Anyways my first issue was I needed to have straight hair because the photo used to promote me had straight hair. Big problem as I have been rocking the afro for a while. So the day before the shoot I decided to go to my true friend Mandy and ask here to blow dry my afro. She is a true coloured lady and knows the ins and outs for flattening the kinks of Africanised locks. However my hair is a lot thicker than regular coloured hair so I was a bit worried it would not work out. It took her about 1 and a half hours but I was very impressed by the look. That night I avoided any moisture and even wore a stocking. Something that us Afro people don't normally do.

I tried to get some beauty sleep but was awoken by a really bad dream...... I was at the Scandal set all ready and everything. Then while the cameras were rolling I was told that I would have to kiss some actor. It freaked me out because I had not discussed this with my Husband and thats exactly what I had said in my dream. The next thing you know everyone was angry at me and calling me a loser and a waste of their time because I couldn't even kiss a guy. But I was like it isn't just Acting for me....if I haven't gone over it with my husband. I woke up with a sense of fear in me like as if it was going to happen. And because they hadn't told me what I was actually going to be doing on set...I was actually nervous.

My drive to the Studios was hectic too. I dropped Avon off at work (6am) then on my way out of Montecasino I nearly drove into a car that was on fire. Men were frantically trying to blow it out and I just had a vision of it blowing up (Too many action movies I tell ya). I just prayed really hard and sped past. I had a vision of Angels around me (something I think of everytime I am in a bad situation).

As if I wasn't worked up already, I kept thinking about my dream and what I was getting myself into. If you are anything like me your greatest fear is being cheated on not you being the cheater. My dream had warned me of a situation where I may be tempted to "Cheat" and it shook me. I have always known that the film industry was dirty and I had experienced it first hand in Canada. Thats mainly why I had wanted a Christian based agent here in South Africa. But at what expense was I willing to get my self into such an industry?

I have reflected on my passion for TV/Dance and modeling many times. All through university I got involved with African dance performance, background work in movies, commercials and and modeling here and there. I didn't do it for the money or to be famous, I genuinely enjoyed it. In my reflections about my life journey I believe I have evolved big time - spiritually. Becoming famous and rich is actually a fear of mine. A fear that I would be self absorbed and lost. I am actually humbled in the fact that I have not made a big breakthrough in such an industry. Because something deep inside of me says "Kanya you are not ready," Like God is saying "I am not finished with you." I will never know fully where God wants me but I will put all my trust, talents, passions, desires before Him. And he will use them as He will!

After having my deep morning conversations with God in the car and singing Christian songs (In Christ alone), my fears were gone and I was ready to walk into the Scandal studio with the assurance that I was not alone. The Scandal Studio was so elite and clean cut. There were pictures of all the actors in the entrance. The couches were black and red and the floor well carpeted. No one was behind the reception but there was a form to fill in for all actors and extras. A young guy kind of brushed in behind me as if he knew what he was doing and actually lead me to the extras room (he was a regular extra). I joined the other extras and we went for breakfast with all the crew members, actors and production managers. I wasn't hungry but I just observed the people around me. I couldn't exactly tell who was an actor and who wasn't everyone just kinda blended in.

We went back to the Extras room and Eduard, the guy who contacted my agent, asked to see my wardrobe. I was told to bring 4 sexy tops and jeans. I showed him all my sexy clothes. But apparently it wasn't sexy enough and he said he would like to see me in red so he went to grab me more clothes. I was given a red top which looked flirty and not too hectic. I was concerned because I was the only extra being told what to wear. One girl looked over at me and said You must be the "Hooker". I looked at the call sheet and read 7 extras, 3 girls. Then below one hooker and one lawyer. I got a chill thinking what if I am the "Hooker". My agent did tell me that I would not have any lines...but what if it was my body that was going to sell. I looked down at my cloths and thought I don't really look like a Hooker. "Lord prepare me to stand strong," I said in my mind.

Eduard didn't give me any information. He just panicked and said we need 2 more sexy girls. Apparently the other two girls hadn't arrive. He looked at me and said "Don't you have 2 other sexy friends you could call who could be here in an hour." Um brrrrrr, I had never been asked such a question and mind you I had never looked at my friends in that kind of a way. I scrolled through my letter A names on my phone and I realized I needed more friends that begin with the letter with 'A' (avon work, avon office, avon cell, avon Swaziland, Avon mom, Avon dad). In a rushed voice Eduard told me to forget it and walked me over to hair and makeup. Wooooow. It was just like the TVs. Lights and high chairs. I stepped in and just said " Morning everyone,......looks like I have been up graded lol," This was where the actors got their make-up done. At least for one hour I could pretend like I was some real actress. The girl beside me seemed like she was having a bad day. Her Character is really mean on Scandal...and i thought that she might be normal in life...but looks like she was just as mean. Unless she was in character (lol).

As I was getting my make-up done I got to chat to some of the Actors there. It was funny as they talked about their Christmas and some of the problems they were going through. Landlord issues, not happy with this or that, job is boring coz they are always waiting around. One actor said he wanted to be like one of the guys at his gym who is a underwear model. lol. I just thought - here you are, a successful actor (to some degree) some people dream of being where you are right now. Are we ever satisfied?

My highlight of the day was when Justice did my hair. Yup Justice did justice to my hair. He made it extra straight. I was like who needs to go to the hair dressers now...just go on an episode of Scandal and get it done for free.

By the time I came out of hair and Make-up I could hardly recognize myself. I looked much older but not exactly Hooker like. I thought maybe one of the other girls would be the hooker. By the time I got into the extras room one of the other girls had arrived. SHe was also a Christian with the same agent. And also had no idea what was going on. She had been married for 5 years and was thinking of having kids this year. It was nice chatting with the other extras too. Finding out how much they get paid, what else they do ect.

Well the scene wasn't as scary as I imagined. Us three girls were escorted to the Set which was a bar scene. In the show Scandal the bar looks much larger. All we had to do was be 3 sexy girls out having a drink and then waving to the bar tender who looked like someone my brothers age. We had to be very flirty and fun. Yet the whole time were were not aloud to say a word...not even a whisper. I just wanted to laugh coz you had to pretend like the other person was saying something interesting yet they were saying nothing. The camera was probably on us for like 4 seconds but I guess thats better than being a extra extra, who gets commanded to just walk by or sit. We did about 3 takes and it was over. I watched how each actor tried to go over their lines and imagined if I could be able to do that.

You know how on Bold and the Beautiful just keeps going on and on and on and you just can get so caught up in the mix up it can be so confusing??? Well its funny coz on set there was a part where the actors realised that they were not on good talking terms lol. But it was missing from the script. I just had a moment thinking...I thought it was just me that gets lost watching soapies...thats why I don't watch them.

After we were done one of the actors came up to us and asked if we were models with an excited look on his face. In my mind i just laughed and was like "I wish". The fact that he had asked that made me realise how everyone has a different perception of everyone else. We were all far from models (one GIS remote sensing specialist, one graphic designer and a stay-at-home mom) but with all that makeup on and sexy shirts maybe we could have been. Turns out we were the first kinda featured extras they had had so we looked kind of important.

I don't know how much we even got paid for that job. But I had fun just being there. I had a confirmation that we are all just people at the end of the day....be us famous, pretty, sexy, actors or actresses, underneath all the make-up and clothes is what really matters. Also I just found it interesting that even at that level of their career some people are still not satisfied.

Keep reading "My Rhythm of life" to find out what Adventure is Up next. Tomorrow is the rehearsals for the Kelloggs commercial!