Exciting new university series Wyfie is now streaming on Showmax, with two episodes loading every Tuesday (watch the trailer on YouTube). It follows four mismatched first-year roommates at Pantera res at the fictional Eike university.
The talented cast includes Beáta Bena Green (Arendsvlei, Die Spreeus) as Shay, Celeste Loots (One Piece, Trompoppies) as Amanda, Kristen Raath (7de Laan) as Kyla and Mienke Ehlers (Dinge van ‘n Kind) as Mia.
Beáta Bena Green as Shay in Showmax’s ‘Wyfie’
A former Miss Teen South Africa (2013), Beáta is a firm favourite among soapie fans since her TV debut as Kim in the kykNET telenovela Arendsvlei. She has also starred as Shady in the Afrikaans soapie 7de Laan.
In an interview with Showmax‘s Amanda Tremeer-Young, the actress opens up about her breakthrough drama role as Shay in Wyfie. “Shay is an only child of mixed-race parents and she was raised by a single mother,” she explains.
“She never had a relationship with her father, and she’s navigating life, trying to figure out what it means to be a mixed-race person, raised by a white mother in a very diverse society, but who also has certain expectations of her. In a way, she’s just trying to find her feet. She’s also exploring herself and her sexuality. She’s an introvert, a drama student and a poet; she loves people, but she’s also very lonely. A lot is happening in her head, and you get to see that when you watch Wyfie. You see things from her point of view quite a bit.”
Beáta says although the fictional Eike university has some similarities with Stellenbosch University which she attended, her experiences at Stellenbosch were different from her character Shay’s. “Mostly because I was like one of the other characters in the show, Kayla: a pliggie. Someone who is completely committed to their studies,” she adds.
“I was just super focused, and I enjoyed that. In Wyfie, however, specifically with Shay and within their group, they have a lot of fun and they’re just living on the edge. So, it’s definitely an experience at university that I personally haven’t had.”
‘Stunning’ relationships
The talented actress describes the relationships at the heart of Wyfie as “stunning,” adding that many of them mirror the relationships the actors have on set. “I draw inspiration from that. It’s work, but at the same time, it’s a total privilege because I’m working with incredible people,” she explains.
“I’m also particularly drawn to the relationships that they have with their mother figures. These relationships are quite beautiful because there is this cycle of woman-to-woman power and passion that just carries on over the generations. My character has an awesome mom and that’s an aspect that I’m really enjoying.”
Nevertheless, there were some challenges that Beáta experienced during filming, especially removing herself from her character. She recalls, “You become so vulnerable because the characters are so real, and that raw experience gets captured on camera.
“So, it was about just allowing yourself to go there, and really just having the freedom to play without the fear of judgement, because it’s so easy for people to judge one another and you’re afraid that people are going to judge your character for the things they’re doing. But then you need to remind yourself that they’re young and they’re figuring things out, and the mistakes that they make that are going to be on the screen might be something that inspires other people to do the same – to explore and to do it without judgement.”
Why you should watch ‘Wyfie’
Beáta urges viewers to watch the series because although it is “fun, crazy and entertaining to watch, it allows you to really dig deep into young people’s minds and understand why they do the things they do that are sometimes controversial.”
She adds, “It will help you empathise with them, and to feel the sense of community that can be created amongst people when they’re put in the same space. I think that’s something that we can all learn from. So, it’s fun, games, and excitement, but I believe it’s also very inspiring.”