Dineo Rasedile is finally stepping into her first adult role in the new Showmax Original legal drama Law, Love & Betrayal (LLB).
Since she entered the industry a decade ago, the 33-year-old Rasedile has typically played teens, including Yolanda in Ambitions, Andiswa in Saints and Sinners, Thuli in MTV Shuga Down South, Amogelang in The Estate, and Itu in Justice Served.
In LLB, Dineo stars as Gugu, a tough township lawyer who forces her way into a slick, family-owned firm in Sandton.
She finds that everyone in the law firm harbours secrets, just like her.
Speaking about her current role, she says it required a completely different type of energy and approach.
Prayer finally answered
“At the beginning of the year, my prayer was to play a grown-up character, so when this opportunity came, it felt like an answered prayer,” said Rasedile.
“The only other time I played a grown-up character was on Scandal!, but even then, she was in her early 20s. I fought hard for this role, all the way through to the chemistry test.”
Rasedile shared that preparing for the role was a breeze because the casting director provided extensive information, including character references from familiar shows.
This helped her create a picture and starting point.
“I spent that weekend consuming certain content and researching the legal industry. Gugu is trying to prove herself, so I needed to understand the legal world.
“For example, during my research, I learnt about certain demographics, such as the ratio of black female attorneys to white male attorneys.
“Gugu is fighting in a world where she has her back against the wall.”
Chemistry test
She stated that she enjoyed working with Siya Raymond Sepotokele, adding that an intimacy coach made sure that their chemistry translated on screen.
“I really enjoyed working with him. We had a chemistry test, and from that point, it was fun and easy,” she said.
“When I came for the table read, I found out he got the role. We also had an amazing intimacy coach on set.
“It is always nice working with someone who has a thorough understanding of how to handle these situations.
“Siya is very open, and you can discuss what you are comfortable with and what you are not. He is very respectful, very experienced, and made me feel safe.”
