THIS IS MY TIME

Gail Mabalane tells DRUM about her new role

as a mom in a Netflix series and how she juggles

motherhood and marriage

BY SIYABONGA DZIMBILI

H

ERkidshavea longway

togotobridgethegap

fromtoddlerstoteens,

butGailNkoaneMaba­

lane’slatestroleis giving

hera tasteofwhat’sto

come.

Theactressisfilming

scenesforBlood&Water,a newNetflix

showthattellsthestoryof 16 ­year­old

Puleng Khumalo, who discovers her

older sister was abducted at birth and

sets off to unravel the mystery of her

missing sibling.

Gail (34) had to dig deep for the role.

“I’ve never played a teenager’s mom

before, let alone a mother who has more

than one child,” she tells DRUM.

“The journey has been particularly

exciting because I’ve made that transi­

tion in my life.

“Although my children

aren’t teenagers, I’m

getting a glimpse

of what to

expect.

“I just hope

they’re a bit

easier on

me,” she

quips.

The actress loves every moment of

parenthood. She was last seen in drama

series The Imposter and stepped out of

the spotlight to raise her two adorable

children, Zoe (4) and Khumo (1).

But she couldn’t resist the role on the

Netflixshow,whichwillbeavailableon

thestreamingservicenextyear.

Theseries,directedbyaward­winner

Nosipho Dumisa, also stars Sello Maake

KaNcube and Xolile Tshabalala.

“I try to select roles that are different

from what I’ve played before, something

that’s going to challenge me in a different

way,” Gail says.

“I try to go places emotionally that

I’ve never been before. That’s the most

important thing – the role has to excite

m e .”

We’re chatting to Gail while she’s

taking a break from filming the show,

which is being shot in Cape Town.

“I’m in Johannesburg every chance I

get because my children are so young.

Even if it’s for a day, I fly out and make

sure I spend time with my family.”

Jettingupanddownhasbeentaxing

butGailcanalwayscountonthesupport

ofherhusband,KabeloMabalane.

The power couple have been happily

married for six years and although

spending so much time away from her

family is tough, she says it helps that

Kabelo understands the demands of the

entertainment industry.

H

ER husband has always been

her rock and it’s thanks to

Kabelo’s support and her

faith that Gail was able to

open up about her battle

with hair loss.

Earlier this year she revealed she’d

been diagnosed with a type of alopecia.

“A few months ago I went to the salon

for a routine hair wash. To my shock,

after my wash, abigchunkofmyhair

was GONE!” she wroteonInstagram.

“Central Centrifugal Cicatricial