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On Friday night (29 October), the end of era took place on Generations when Connie Ferguson played her final scene as Karabo Moroka.

16 years built up towards Karabo and Tau's wedding and ended when Karabo became Mrs Mogale. I caught up with Connie for us to get her impressions on it all:



Tashi: What was the moment that you decided to leave the show?
Connie: It's something I've been thinking about for the past two years so it wasn’t an overnight decision. I think everyone reaches that comfort zone - when you are in that place of familiarity, just trying to pluck up the courage and make that decision is so hard.

Gosh ... what was the moment? I don't even know what that moment was. I think it was just so crazy with my schedule on the show and me trying to do my other stuff outside of it that it became overwhelming.

I just thought: "No, I think I need to stop procrastinating about this decision and just do it."

Tashi: At the time, just before you announced you were leaving, Mfundi (Vundla; Generations creator) was quoted as saying that the show's actors were spending too much time on outside work. Did all that have anything to do with it?
Connie: See, that had absolutely nothing to do with me even, whatever prompted him to make that comment - if indeed he said that - it had nothing to do with me, it's just trying to work around the series schedule and everything else.

When you sign up for a soapie, you must just know that for five days a week they own you, basically, and that everything else you do, you have to work around it - that’s just the way it is.

For the time that I've been on the show, it's been okay, I've been able to do that, but I think, you know, I have other interests outside now that require a bit more of my attention than what I've been able to give.

It's been frustrating me a little and that's really what prompted the decision. It's time for me to grow beyond what I've been doing on the show and I felt like I was restricting myself.

Tashi: How will days change now that you're gone?
Connie: My time will be my own, I won't have to phone production every time I want to set up a meeting, find out what time I'm working, so that I can work around that time - which has, most of the time, been like, oh God, like pulling a tooth. It's been hectic.

So that's how it'll change really, I'll be in control of my own time and I'm so looking forward to that.

Tashi: What question have you been asked the most since everyone's known that you're leaving?
Connie: *laughs* The biggest comment was: do I want Generations to go down? And I think the question I've been asked the most was: why? People wanted a reason ...my Twitter page ... people wanted a reason.

I think, you know, I'm so synonymous with Generations because I've been on the show since it started. From Day One, Scene One - the first scene of the series, I was there.

I'm such a familiar face on the show, that with Karabo gone, it's like that familiarity is taken away because this is like the original cast member of the show.

I think from that point, I think they just can't comprehend: "This women can't be serious, she is Generations." Thank God, I'm not Generations. *laughs*

Tashi: What do you say when people ask if you want the show to go down?
Connie: Of course I don't, I just want to grow beyond where I am and beyond what I was able to do while I was on the show. In a way it's a selfish decision because I know Karabo has so many fans and people love her, people love Karabo like you will not even begin to understand.

I think I can promise to continue to do good things now that I'm gone. I can promise to ... *laughs* not completely leave television so I will still be visible but maybe not as much as I have been with Generations.

Tashi: It sounds like you feel a bit guilty?
Connie: You know what, I do. I'd be inhuman not to because I've invaded so many people's lives for so many years.

To them, they know this person, they know this character, most of them grew up with her, most of them cried with her, most of them related to some of the things that she's gone through so they know her and because they feel like they know her so intimately, they feel like they own her so the least they deserve is an explanation why and I get it.

I think that's why, I do feel a little guilty, but I mean, not to a point where now my life stops because my fans want to see Karabo on TV.


Tashi: If you were to choose your all-time, most memorable moment over the 16 years, what is it?
Connie: Oh my goodness, that's a difficult question because 16 years is a long time ... um ... oy-yoy-yoy-yoy-yoy ... I think, it was probably when Tau first proposed to Karabo (four years ago).

For me, having seen Karabo go through her trials and tribulations and grow - my wish for her was always that she eventually finds love and she settles down and grows as a business woman. What she's always wanted is a family so I've always wanted that for her as well.

That moment was very poignant. I remember that day, of filming it, those scenes, and I think they looked so good. I think it was written so well, I enjoyed playing it.

The other scenes ... okay, I didn't exactly enjoy playing them but I found them to be quite challenging and looking back, I think they're the scenes that people related to the most because they came from a real place. The scenes with Karabo and the baby and the loss and losing her mind.

Those for me, they were very personally challenging and emotionally draining but also therapeutic because *laughs* in a way I cried over my own loss and really cried and just, gosh, I cried all the tears I had to cry over that issue.

They looked good because they came from a real place and they affected people and I think, at the end of the day it was a job well done and a mission accomplished.

Tashi: Are you happy with how Karabo left?
Connie: Ultimately I am - I think initially, my initial reaction to it though was shock *laughs*. At Tau's return.

Tashi: Did you have any other ideas about how she would leave?
Connie: *laughs* I thought they would kill her. You know that's how characters exit from a soapie - you die tragically and they bury you and that's that and the nation cries and it's done, at least the character's gone.

I thought that's what they would do, but you know, I think we've had such a great relationship. I think the production, they love Karabo but I think they love Connie as well.

I think it was very important for them to give me a "good send-off" as they call it, like a positive one - which is why they brought Tau back as well because you know, he's always been the love of her life.

Bring him back, let her have her dream wedding, and then, as they put it, fly off into the sunset.

Tashi: When you had thoughts of being killed off, did you have any thoughts as to which character would do it?
Connie: I thought Dineo would do it, yes - I thought Dineo would do it and get away with it. For me it was a toss between Dineo and Kenneth.


Tashi: Across all of Karabo's tragedies with men, who's been the best kisser?
Connie: Oh! gosh - do you know how ugly on-screen kisses are?

Tashi: This is what everyone tells me but I don't believe it.
Connie: Seriously, gosh, they're so ugly, and so choreographed, half the time you don't even want to kiss the person. I mean no disrespect but *laughs* oh gosh ...

Tashi: Do you do a lot of preparations before? Like tooth brushing and Listerine?
Connie: No, well, I speak for me, I think dental hygiene is for me, one of those things that I'm OCD about.

Tashi: Me too.
Connie: I obsess over dental hygiene so I think my co-actors have been lucky in that sense that they've had nothing to worry about, um ... I can't say the same for myself *laughs* but I'm not naming names ... *laughs*

Tashi: *guffawing*
Connie: Let's just say that it hasn't always been a ... ja. We have such a sweet floor manager though because every time before kissing scenes, when he reads the schedule and sees: "Okay shame, so-and-so has a kissing scene."

If he knows that someone has a problem - because everybody knows if someone has a problem - he'd come onto set with mints or chewing gum or whatever and give both of us chewing gum, like it’s no big deal. He'd just look at me and wink *laughs* and I'd think: "Oh thanks Dr Dre."

But no, I can't say that one was memorable than the other, I think they're just very uncomfortable.

Tashi: Does everybody stare and watch?
Connie: Everybody stares and watches and some people tend to get more excited than others. And boys are naughty, boys are very naughty - they always get excited.

I think though, of all the main character's that I worked with, the one that clicked with on a personal level, as in really we can sit and chat and be friends and talk about anything is Siyabonga (Twala, who plays Paul).

Tashi: Interesting. So nothing romantic but on a connection level?
Connie: Ja, on a connection level, he's smart, very business-minded. I think we connected on a ... we became friends beyond Karabo being Paul's whatever, girlfriend, fiancé.



Tashi: Is there anything that Karabo didn't get to do that you wish she had?
Connie: Well, she gets married and I suppose she does have a family because of Tau's daughter Angela but I wish, a side of her that I would have liked explored while I was still on the show is that family part of it.

You know, talking to women in general, I find that people struggle to balance work and family. When I do my interviews as Connie and people read that I'm married with two children, and I manage to work as hard as I do, they ask: how do I balance it?

I think sometimes it would be nice to see that aspect on TV because people think that when you're busy, you don't have time for family, and I contradict that statement - I don't believe that that's how it should be.

We've always seen Karabo with Queen and Princie and mostly at work and her relationships with other people on the show, but how she runs her home life, we didn't explore that and if it clashes, how that clashes with work, how she works around it.

Just little things like that, real issues that family people have that people can relate to. I would have loved to see more than just her issues with love.



Tashi: When it came to filming your very final scene, how many times did you shoot it?
Connie: What happens with party scenes is ... usually when we film regular scenes there's a nice flow to the day but with party scenes, number one: most of the lead actors, and number two: we have extra's as well - so there's a whole bunch of actors in one room *laughs*.

It's chaos because actors are people that talk so just to try and control a crowd and get moving - it can be a bit challenging so they took long but they were fun.

The final scene that Karabo gave really hit me because it was like I was saying it to my colleagues. They seemed real - it was almost like the script writer was sitting writing my farewell speech. Gosh, when I read the script, I thought: "Oh my gosh, are you serious?? This is me saying this to my colleagues." So you know, oh gosh ... ja.

Karabo: "To Ezweni, it will always, always be home."

Tashi: What will you miss most about being on the show?
Connie: I think the people ... actors are crazy - I'm usually a very quiet and shy and reserved person and I think what they've done for me is they've allowed me to come out of my shell a bit and I'll miss that vibe.

I'll miss the vibe in make-up, whether we were listening to music. On a crazy day everyone's dancing - Friday's are happy days in make-up because people know that the weekend's starting.

I'll miss that, I'll miss the chats that I had with my colleagues, I'll miss the vibe in the studio with the crew - I got on so well with our cameramen and sound guy - they talk about everything under the sun and they always make me laugh.

I'm so familiar with everybody that I have a nickname for almost everyone, so you can just imagine ... I'm going to miss the interaction that I had with everyone.


Tashi: Will you ever return?
Connie: *laughs* We shall leave that for the future. Obviously that gap is open for if I decide to return or if they ask me really nicely and I consider so you know, it's open. I never say never but I think where I am now, it's not on the cards, it's not in my future plans.

I'm not even thinking about it but should it come up in future and I think: "Okay, I've established what I wanted to establish, I've accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, and I have a bit more time to spare, I could go back and play a bit more," then I'll think about it but for now it's not on the cards.

Tashi: Will you be watching the show now?
Connie: Of course I will, I love the show, I'm not only a Generations actress but I'm a fan as well. I'd love to see what Kenneth gets up to next. Shame, I'd love to see how Queen survives without Karabo - I'm curious about, how my peeps are going to do without me. I'll continue to support and watch the show.

Tashi: Have you always watched? Every night?
Connie: I have always - well, not every night, sometimes I'm too tired to watch, sometimes I'm doing homework but whenever I can catch an episode I watch.

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