New to
Skemergrond this month:
Gretchen Ramsden as hotel chef Patty Paulsen.
Gretchen debuted on 15 July, returning to kykNET & Kie's 20h00 timeslot where she played Nicolene Arendse on Arendsvlei for three seasons.
Patty's a starring character on Skemergrond and won't be going anywhere soon.
Here's a close-up on her, with details from Gretchen:
Patty is originally from Upington and fled to Gemoedsdrif. Despite her fashionable and stylish appearance, Patty is a people person. But don’t make the mistake of thinking she’s a softy.
“Patty is someone full of hope and faith,” says Gretchen. “Although her past haunts her, she doesn’t allow it to steal her joy or to take away the beauty of life. She keeps her sparkle and trusts that things will work out.”
She says she especially loves Patty’s dress sense and makeup. “It’s always a pleasure to go through the process of getting under a character’s skin. I love Patty and enjoy every moment in her shoes. The biggest challenge is dealing with her trauma. Emotions can sometimes feel heavy and painful, but it’s all worth it because it also helps me in my own life.”
The telenovela format, where many scenes are not filmed in studios, suits Gretchen like a glove. “I love the opportunity to shoot on location. An added bonus with Skemergrond, is that I get the chance to be in nature a lot.”
Can Gretchen cook up a storm like Patty? “Of course, I can cook! Before I even played Patty, I always pretended I was on a cooking show while making food. I also play instrumentals in the background for a bit of ambiance and inspiration.”
When she entertains people, it depends on how she feels that day “and the theme in my head and my personal seasons”, but if you ask her what her favourite dish is at the moment, it’s only one thing: “It’s winter, and I crave my mom’s soup.”
Back to Patty and the past she tries to escape. “I prefer to keep Patty’s secrets. If any secrets feel like they need to come to light, they’ll have to play themselves out,” says Gretchen. “I wish Patty a happily ever after, no matter what that looks like. She deserves it.”
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What else has Gretchen been in? Check out her TVSA Actor Profile here:
Gretchen Ramsden