'The Andersons' will help you laugh away the lockdown blues

Cape comedienne Juliette Pauling reveals the inspiration behind the hysterically familiar characters in her digital comedy series

07 February 2021 - 00:00 By aspasia karras
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Comedian Juliette Pauling in 'The Andersons'.
Comedian Juliette Pauling in 'The Andersons'.
Image: Instagram//@juliette_pauling

Capetonian Juliette Pauling is a multi-talented actor and chef who responded to the lockdown blues by creating an entire family whose exploits, quirks and all-purpose lunacy are hysterically familiar.

All the characters live in her head but have become manifest as fully formed people going about their lives on our phone screens in the digital comedy series, The Andersons. Pauling plays the roles of the various family members herself.

She tells us more:

What's The Andersons about?

I was inspired to create the main character (at least I think of him as the main character), the teenage Dwayne, by an ex-boyfriend. It's fascinating how men at that age talk. They have their own lingo and I found it very amusing. His relationship with his mother was inspired by what happened with me in high school — if I forgot something at home, my mother would stop what she was doing and bring it to me. I was a spoilt brat.

I was only planning three episodes, but then lockdown happened and a friend of mine, Bruno, suggested I document the entire family in lockdown, so I decided to document them every day.

WATCH | Juliette Pauling's sketch 'Skeet Skeet February'

Are you suffering from a version of multiple personality disorder?

Not entirely, but initially it was very stressful. The panic of having to release something every day was crazy — I lost some of my hair from my admittedly self-induced stress. It was high pressure but at least I was working — it stimulated me daily.

Do people get angry with you for sending them up?

I don't think my ex even knows (I don't talk to him anymore) but my mom does know — she's very funny and often tells me to use her quips in my sketch. Most of the characters are hybrids of people I know … A lot of people love the gran, and the aunt — she reminds them of those "I specialist", know-it-alls without any substance.

Is it tricky giving voice to a male character?

Initially I was scared of releasing my videos as I was worried that people would climb into me for the Dwayne character, but people were quite accepting and encouraging. He's really morphed into a generous spirit. I imagined him as the arsehole of the family but he's become one of the favourite characters. I use him as a vehicle to speak to men — to say it's OK for men to feel sad. He's a cool little tool — a tool for good. He's still a bit dorky and nowhere - and it's an interesting challenge for a girl to try to be a guy. A lot of the people that respond online respond to me as a boy — they write to "Dwayno my boy". I suppose with transgender, binary and all of these new terms coming in, what is gender anymore?

So is social media actually a force for good?

I'm not a big fan of social media - it gives me anxiety - but after The Andersons I have a different perspective. I used to curse technology, but, that being said, so many people have been discovered over the internet that would never have had the opportunity to be seen by the masses. And in lockdown it was a saviour for the arts.

What's next for Juliette Pauling and The Andersons?

I'll carry on — hopefully an episode a week. I'm starting a new job as a food and beverage consultant using my chef's background. That came about through The Andersons. I'm also one of the judges on the Spar Stars at Home kids' show. I studied teaching at Wits after my drama degree at Rhodes. I wanted to show kids that school isn't the be-all. I want to raise kids up and encourage them to do what they want to do and motivate them to push themselves to follow their dreams.

• Follow Pauling and 'The Andersons' on Instagram.


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