Jody Abrahams joinsScandalas the violent and abusive Marcel tonight. We speak to him about his role.
Marcel, a plumber married to Candice, has a violent temper which often results in physical violence. When Cameron saw the nature of Marcel and Candice’s relationship, he implored his sister to leave her husband. Marcel is not an evil man, but one who inflicts misery because of his upbringing. The role of Marcel will be played by acclaimed actor, Jody Abrahams.
Jody began performing when he was just 8 years old and by the time he was 11, he had landed his first major role as Broertjie in District Six: The Musical which saw him tour Scotland. Soon after that he landed a role in Kat and the Kings and later decided to pursue his interests overseas. He spent most of his time touring in the UK and the US with the production.
He returned to South Africa and landed prominent roles in the country’s finest TV programmes. His TV credits include Backstage, Hard Copy, Interrogation Room, 7de Laan and Fishy Feshuns– just to name a few.
Jody chats to us about his role on Scandal.
How did you land the role on Scandal?
I got a call from the casting director saying that there’s a role on Scandal and she thought I could do justice to it. I was a bit scared because very seldom in a soapie do you get an opportunity to bring everything you’ve got to the character. I work in film and dramas more than soapies. It’s a huge challenge to deliver creative performances when you have the time constraints that you find in most soapies. However, I didn’t find that on Scandal. I enjoyed it.
Who is Marcel?
Marcel is a complex character who comes across as a thug and a bully. He’s looking for his daughter. You think he’s one dimensional until you discover he’s a father looking for his daughter.
What do you enjoy about playing this character?
It’s not a one dimensional character. I like that people may judge him in the beginning but I really hope they will see something more. He’s street wise and doesn’t care about anyone. I see something in the character that I can relate to.
Why is Marcel so violent?
He’s never known anything else. He only knows that violence is the solution to solving a problem. It’s because of his upbringing. Most South Africans were taught that violence will solve their problems.
How does his violent behaviour affect those around him?
They pretend to like him out of fear. He’s a lonely guy and doesn’t have buddies. People are unsure of what he’ll do next. He drives all the way from Bloemfontein by himself to find his daughter. He moved to Bloemfontein with his wife and made huge sacrifices to be with her but he’s got violent tendencies. It doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love his daughter or his wife, he just doesn’t know how to communicate properly.
What’s his relationship with Cameron like?
Cameron is a means to his daughter. He will torment him. He will be malicious to him, but he doesn’t really see him as a threat.
Why is it so important that he finds his daughter?
His daughter is his life. She’s his everything. It’s like reconciliation for him – he wants to try to make things right.
To what lengths would he go to make sure he’s reunited with his daughter?
Any length. Wouldn’t any father?
What can we expect from Marcel?
Anything - he’s unpredictable. You think he’s going to go left and then he goes right! You cannot expect anything from him. I think as time goes on you will get to know the character, he reveals himself. There are many layers.
Catch Jody Abrahams on ScandalMonday to Friday at 7:30PM. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.
