Die Onderonsie's Simon Pretorius on the film, Britney Spears, first 8 sceneActress Simone Pretorius opens up about her character, Jolene, in Showmax's Afrikaans film Die Onderonsie'.
by Nokuthula Ngcobo
01-12-2023 17:18
in Entertainment
Die Onderonsie. Image Supplied
Die Onderonsie (aka The Quarrel) is now streaming on Showmax.
--
When five ex band-mates come together for their annual reunion, a dead body stirs up suspicion and violence among the friends. With tjommies like these, who needs enemies?
ABOUT DIE ONDERONSIE' The debut feature film from multi-award winner Philip Nolte (2023 SAFTA winner Sex in Afrikaans, Silwerskerm award winner Vossie Vergas Homself), the dark comedy co-stars SAFTA nominee Simon Pretorius (Hotel), Binnelanders stars Pietie Beyers and Lindsey Cele, and Getroud Met Rugby stars Adrian Steyn and former Mister World South Africa Sean van Noordwyk. Also look out for 2023 Royalty Soapie Awards nominee Tsholofelo Matshaba (Kedibone in The River) as Detective Mahlangu and David James (Colonel Koobus Venter in District 9) as Thys.
SIMON PRETORIUS ON HER CHARACTER What's your favourite part of Jolene's wardrobe?
--
To be honest, I would never in my life wear what she wore! She's really quite the opposite of myself. She wore bodycon dresses that were super-tight, so I had such a hard time in her wardrobe because I hate stuff that's tight.
But I did wear white, knee-high boots. And those were my own, so they were very comfortable! I don't know why I have white trompoppie [drum majorette] boots.
I love the fact that she wore these high-heeled, white leather boots for going away for a weekend in the bushveld with her friends.
--
Sometimes I feel like once you put the shoes on of a character, that's when you really step into their role. Clothing changes but there's a specific thing about what you'll wear as a shoe.
ALSO READ: It felt like I could redo high school': Melissa Myburgh on Trompoppie'
Her bandbates call Jolene Patricia Lewis after the South African singer. Why Patricia?
Them saying that Jolene is Patricia is not necessarily meant as a compliment. I did wonder if Gen Z would know who Patricia Lewis is, but I know that for people my age and older, especially in the Afrikaans community, she is cemented as an icon of pop stardom, with the hair [Simon mimics Patricia tossing her long, blonde hair], the glam up and stuff. For me, she'll always be that [Simon sings lyrics from Ek Is Lief Vir Jou] Doodgewone man kry 'n salaris - [ordinary guy gets a salary].
ALSO READ: It's a love letter to coloured culture': Actor Dillion Windvogel on Spinners'
So when you were fantasising about being a rock star as a kid, how did you see yourself?
100% Britney! I was a big Britney fan. I had all of the posters and the CDs. I didn't see myself as a rock star. See, it's the hoofmeisie [head girl] in me. I'll take the popstar vibe. Christina [Aguilera] was already a bit too edgy for me. I was very innocent and very naive, so I was Britney just maybe Britney before I'm A Slave 4 You Britney, before the snake around the neck.
Jolene has a gospel pop album out - Spread Your Wings. If she was making the music she really wanted to, what would it be?
I think she wants to do a bit of that Slave 4 U (Britney Spears)! That's the Jolene that she is on the inside, and maybe a bit of a rock chick as well. But the gospel album is just because that's where she's going to make her money, and she knows the market is really loyal. Especially in the Afrikaans market, people swoon over a gospel album. You could be such a hypocrite but if you bring out a gospel album your fans will absolutely love you. So she's doing a gospel album, but she's definitely 100% the opposite of a gospel album singer.
ALSO READ: Showmax drops hilarious trailer for dark comedy Die Onderonsie'
What were your favourite moments in the fight scene between Jolene and Bianca (Lindsey Cele)?
That was so hectic! We really looked forward to that fight. That's my first fight scene! I've done a few slaps across the face, but this was a whole choreography, like a whole dance. The way it starts was lovely. It's just this tension-filled moment where you don't think Bianca's going to do it. And then she just goes in for Jolene. And then later on, we used pans and we knocked each other on the head. That was quite funny. And there was also something about pulling on the hair. All of it was just absolute chaos. Lindsey is a good friend of mine, so I just feel so safe with her. So we really had a lot of fun.
With the scene where Jolene flirts with Chad the pool boy (Dean Goldblum), which moment nearly ended you?
I said to him something about the stars aligning and he was like, Stars? No, sorry, baby girl; I'm an atheist. And that was hysterical for me. The whole scene with Dean was such a highlight; it was pure comedy. I love playing opposite him. He was just so 100% committed to this pool boy character. She's like, You are so absolutely stupid. But okay, well, we're leaning into this. You can always get me with comedy, because comedy is such a difficult thing to write. It's an easy yes for me, you can buy me over with comedy, I'm a cheapskate.
WIN R250 per day with our Christmas Advent Calendar competition - CLICK HERE
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
17/05/2026
Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run
17 May, 2026
Media releases
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
Relive every spellbinding mome...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
15/05/2026
Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...
15/05/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...
15/05/2026
InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...
15/05/2026
Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...
15/05/2026
Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...
15/05/2026
Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...
15/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
15/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
15/05/2026
For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...
15/05/2026
The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...
15/05/2026
When MMA icons Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano meet inside the Hexagon at Intuit Do...
15/05/2026
Daniel Roher attends the Tuner Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles Theatre on January 22, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Neilson Bar...
15/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
15/05/2026
Rebranded show announced
Ahead of their 2026 return, Music Expo have announced that they have now officially changed their name to the MONO Music Conference...
15/05/2026
Fuzz pedal joins UK companys line-up
UK-based pedal makers Buzzing Bugs Audio Devices have recently unveiled their latest creation, the Bolster. Said to pay...
15/05/2026
Joint Statement: News Bargaining Incentive
28 April, 2026
Media releases
The vibrancy of Australian democracy relies on the robust and open exchange of new...
15/05/2026
Call it Deltavision, Australia's through to the Grand Final of this year'...
15/05/2026
Join Calrec at MPTS 2026 | May 13-14 | Stand A40 | Olympia, London We're looking forward to meeting up with customers and partners at this year's Media ...
15/05/2026
86% of media planners would move more linear TV budget to CTV if they had show-level targeting and reporting - and 65% would also shift dollars from programmati...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Clear-Com will showcase new communications solutions and major platform updates at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7005), June 17-19, in the North and Central Halls of t...
15/05/2026
Following an outstanding inaugural year in 2025, Rise AV is proud to announce the return of its flagship leadership initiative, Elevate. The programme continues...
15/05/2026
Berklee Announces Lineup for Inaugural AI Music Summit The three-day event puts musicians at the center of the future of music creation, ethics, and the indus...
15/05/2026
Lightware returns to InfoComm 2026 with a focused showcase of scalable USB-C connectivity, next-generation AV-over-IP solutions, and technologies that help over...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Delivering a live, arena-scale production of a massively popular band is no small feat. Between expansive in-arena LED walls and a global live stream fed to onl...
Die Onderonsie's Simon Pretorius on the film, Britney Spears, first 8 sceneActress Simone Pretorius opens up about her character, Jolene, in Showmax's Afrikaans film Die Onderonsie'. 
