Mienke Ehlers is poised to captivate audiences with her breakthrough role as Mia in the new hit series Wyfie. All 45 episodes of the first season will be available to binge on Showmax starting Tuesday, 9 July 2024. Season 2 is set to follow on 6 August 2024.

Ehlers has previously delivered memorable performances as Lydia in Magda Louw and Dalena in Dinge van ‘n Kind. However, her role as Mia marks her first lead role, earning her critical acclaim and recognition as one of the show’s breakout stars. Huisgenoot has praised her “scorching breakthrough.”

Amanda Tremeer sat down with Mienke Ehlers to delve into her experiences and thoughts on her role in Wyfie.

Amanda: What is Wyfie about?

Mienke: This series is really ahead of its time, the type of project I have always dreamed about and wished for. It turns Afrikaans’ apple cart upside down and is not ashamed to say and show things exactly as they are.

Amanda: Who is your character?

Mienke: Mia Meyer is a university student. She is brash; she is reckless; she sometimes scares me. She is someone who sucks the air out of a room when she walks in. I sometimes feel ‘lesser than’ in comparison to Mia. People want to be close to her, but it is very difficult to trust her because she only trusts herself. She is an island and everyone wants to come to her island, but there are a lot of sharks swimming around that island, so it is very difficult to get through… But when you get close, she is going to act very loyal and very loving towards you.

Amanda: Did you relate to her?

Mienke: My process in acting has always been to start with how far away I am from a character, rather than starting with how close or similar I am to her. It’s just to protect myself and my heart. If you relate too much to a character, you can very easily lose yourself in her emotions. I’m not a big fan of method acting, so I started with what’s different between us. I believe there are consequences in life, and I want to take more responsibility for the type of person I am today. But it has been a great adventure to be able to relive my university life through Mia; she made me miss being young and impulsive.

Reflecting on University Life

Amanda: Where did you go to university? Is your own university experience reflected on Wyfie?

Mienke: I’ve been thinking a lot about my college years lately. I studied drama at Stellenbosch for three years and then I went to AFDA film school for my honours degree in acting. I was in the dorms at Stellenbosch. I was in Erica Women’s Residence in Stellenbosch for a year. I loved the dorms and I loved being a Matie. I was a lot prouder than Mia is. She is quite a recluse who doesn’t really feel anything for institutions or rules or care to be part of big, proud projects. In comparison, I love all those things! I played netball for Maties. I loved making connections and getting to know people; I’m a social butterfly.

On Set Dynamics

Amanda: How was your time on set with the other lead actresses: Beáta Bena Green, Celeste Loots, and Kristen Raath?

Mienke: The strange thing is we all knew each other before Wyfie. Celeste and I have known each other since elementary school but lost touch in high school. Beata and I studied together. And I’ve been a fan of Kristen’s work for a long time. I told the girls the other day that one of my favourite emotions in life is seeing women allow each other to fill a space that you know is the other’s space. That’s absolutely the four of us. We are big personalities, each one of a kind, but we allow each other to fill in the gaps. We’re playing a team sport on set. We throw the ball, we catch the ball, and we help defend.

Why Wyfie Stands Out

Amanda: Why should people watch Wyfie?

Mienke: People should watch Wyfie because it’s something that hasn’t been done yet. There hasn’t been anything as shameless as Wyfie. It tells it like it is; it shows it as it is. It’s breathtaking, it’s naughty, it’s dangerous, it’s so exciting, but most importantly: it’s honest. I don’t think there’s been anything like this in our country, and I hope it’s going to be incredibly liberating for people to watch.

The Journey to Acting

Amanda: Why did you want to become an actor?

Mienke: I always knew I wanted to be an actor. I grew up in a house where my parents opened up pretty much any conversation for me and my sister at the grown-up table. I started debating early on and had talks about world issues and arguments and we just had debates at our house meetings on Sundays. So I think the fact that my parents made the world very small for me, by hearing and seeing me, really made me believe in myself when it comes to acting. Acting to me is you practicing your emotional intelligence all day to portray scenarios with emotions. I was allowed to do this in my personal life and it was something I knew I wanted to do forever. My way there was a bit roundabout. I did everything but acting for the first five years of my career. Like every good actress, I was a waitress, a personal trainer, a food stylist… I worked behind the scenes in the costume department and the art department for a long time. So I was quite oriented with a film set before I arrived as an actor and I think that taught me a lot about film etiquette and that you are just a team player in the process. I am very grateful for that experience. I got my first big role three years ago on a kykNET series, so I’m still wet behind the ears and still have a lot to learn, but I’m incredibly grateful to be here.

International Recognition

Wyfie was up for Outstanding Use of Locations at the Global Production Awards, presented by Screen International, against two Netflix productions shot in Norway: Troll and Ragnarok.

Credits

Produced by Homebrew Films (Trompoppie), Wyfie is directed by SAFTA winner Johan Cronjé (Wonderlus, Nêrens, Noord-Kaap), first-time director Eva du Preez (a Silwerskerm winner and two-time SAFTA nominee as an editor, with credits like Kanarie and Trompoppie), and rising star Emilie Badenhorst (2023 Silwerskerm Best Short Film and Best Direction winner ‘n Doop om Stilte).

As Mienke Ehlers steps into the spotlight, her portrayal of Mia in Wyfie promises to be a thrilling ride, capturing the hearts and minds of viewers across South Africa and beyond.

Binge Wyfie S1 on Showmax:

https://www.showmax.com/mr/stream/series/wyfie/7e0e9397-526b-347e-b25e-8ae21d244ee5