Prince Grootboom: The Fatal Art Of Seduction

Prince Grootboom: The Fatal Art Of Seduction

Tudum!

We’re gearing up for another exciting Netflix South Africa production and to celebrate the launch, we’re proud to have the dashing Prince Grootboom as our cover star today.  His profile has been growing in prominence over the past 24 months. Fans fell in love with his character on Netflix’s dance-themed-drama, Jiva and now he returns for a show of a different kind on the famously red streaming platform. 

Prince stars in the newly released Fatal Seduction, a sensual drama set in Cape Town which sees him acting alongside well-known names such as Kgomotso Christopher and Thapelo Mokoena, alongside other of Mzansi’s big stars. We begin our cover interview by asking how he’s doing on the launch day: “It’s a blessing! I can only put on God you know, without Him, I wouldn’t be here so that’s where it’s at”. 

Jacob is one of the most eye-catching faces in the trailer and on the show’s promotional material. We’re curious to know exactly how the character came to life. Prince explains, “Jacob is a 24-year-old revenge-driven guy. He’s on a mission to avenge his father for something that happened in the past (no spoilers!).

“I call him a chameleon, he fits in anywhere to get what he needs. He’s an artist who plans and takes his time with everything that he wants. However, all of his plans get completely derailed when he meets Nandi. He falls in love with her and this just turns his whole world upside down.” 

This is all further complicated by the small fact that Nandi (portrayed by Kgomotso Christopher) is, well, married.  “Yes, that complicates it! She wouldn’t normally be looking but things change.” 

The premise of the show is already a lot to unpack. Nandi is married to Leonard (Thapelo Mokoena) and the two of them have been dealing with their own marital stresses. For Prince, however, channeling the emotions and dynamics for this role was a challenge he was happy to take on. 

“The one thing that helped was the script. It made it so much easier for me to get into character and start to build all of these scenarios with my performance. It was so well written, the description of the character is there, Working with Kgomotso also helped. She gave me the energy that I needed for the roles because she’s such an open person, and she’s a wonderful teacher too. I’ve learned a lot from her. 

“So the combination of the script and some of my co-stars mentoring me made it easier (not easy! Just easier) to really dig deep and embody this role,” he said.

Sometimes art can imitate life, and Prince added how he used that to his benefit. 

“Some of the things that Jacob has gone through are some of the things I’ve gone through in my own life too. I had to dig deep and channel everything I’ve gone through in the past and the emotions I felt at that time, and then I just try my best to bring them to screen.” 

Netflix is a platform that has proven itself to be a worthy custodian of authentic stories, especially here in South Africa. Prince explains that he’s proud to have been with the Netflix family from the set of Jiva and now Fatal Seduction, but he reveals that he’s also a fan of the streamer’s work. 

“Netflix has been investing in South African stories and I think we are seeing the results of that. Whether it’s Unseen or Blood and Water or How To Ruin Christmas etc,, the quality is always incredible and it’s always a great story. I think we all (Netflix, the actors on the shows, the production companies they work with) understand the importance of telling a strong story and we know that if we get that right, the audience will love it, South Africans will love it”. 

Speaking of South Africans – an ongoing debate has been raging across social media for the past few weeks as viewers question the growing number of sex scenes and sexual themes in modern local series. You won’t need us to tell you that Fatal Seduction has a steamy edge to its storyline.

We took this opportunity to quiz Prince on his perception of this narrative – are SA TV shows becoming more and more sexual? “I definitely can’t speak for every single production or show out there, but with Fatal Seduction what’s going to make it different is the story behind it. The story is so layered because a lot has happened between all these 3 characters. The past is what ends up connecting them together and already in itself, it’s going to add a lot of tension for viewers. 

“It’s not just a love triangle that comes out of nowhere, there’s a reason behind why these people meet and it comes from a long time ago. It changes everything before everything just unravels at the end. Yes, there are ‘steamy’ scenes, but the story and the layers behind them is what will keep viewers hooked!”

With all that being said, just in case anybody needed any further convincing, we asked Prince to give viewers one last reason to tune in: “Watch it! Just watch it! Each and every episode reveals and unfolds something. So just make sure you check it out. Also, you’ll be able to binge it so make sure you’re ready. The production, the cast, the performances, the stories, the location – everything, it’s going to be worth it!” 

You can watch the first episode of Fatal Seduction which is now streaming on Netflix. Sign up or get your free trial today to make sure you don’t miss out!