In an extensive dialogue, critic Stephen “Spling” Aspeling sat down with acclaimed South African screen and stage veteran Morné Visser (Dis ek, Anna, The Trek, Liewekersfeesvader).
Visser’s insights offer screenwriters and actors a rare look into character construction, the discipline of script interpretation and the psychological truth necessary to make drama resonate on screen.
The Anatomy of Character: Curiousity Over Judgment
To write or play characters that linger, one must abandon moral superiority. Visser emphasises that reducing an antagonist to pure villainy immediately flattens the narrative tension.
“As soon as you judge a character, you diminish your understanding of a character. You close yourself off from the intimacy of knowing someone. And that’s how we have prejudice, because when we actually get to know that person and the nuance of that person, they become more alive and more real, and less easy to just cut off or write off.”
For writers crafting complex antagonists, the real power lies in deceptive authenticity rather than obvious menace. Speaking about his Silwerskermfees-winning role as Danie in Dis ek, Anna, Visser notes:
“The character of Danie… I modelled him on someone that I knew. Someone that was in our community that everyone looked up to. He was a deacon in the church… had a beautiful voice, he had a presence, and he was incredibly kind to people. When it came out that he was a child abuser, the majority of people refused to believe it…
All my characters, when I walk in, you shouldn’t dislike me. Because if you dislike me, I can’t deceive you. But if you like me when I walk in, that’s how you get the twist later. It’s just true to life.”
Reading Between the Action Lines: The Subtext of Restraint
A screenplay is an architectural blueprint, not a descriptive novel. For Visser, true dramatic weight emerges from the unspoken space between lines.
“You become quite skilled as an actor reading a script, because you know a script is not like a novel. The script is there to be filmed. It’s quite bare… I was curious about what was behind what you’re saying. I wasn’t listening to what people were saying, I was looking at what they were thinking. There was always an undercurrent of, ‘What aren’t we talking about? What are you hiding, sitting next to me?'”
When preparing a role, Visser favours an organic, stripped-down approach that leaves space for adaptation on the day:
Initial Ingestion: Read the full script in a single sitting, then let it simmer for several days without taking notes.
Minimalist Scaffolding: Avoid over-marking arcs or highlighting lines before discussions with the director.
Prop Restraint: Strip away physical gimmicks, relying on presence and spatial awareness to anchor the character.
Screenplay Mechanics: The Dangers of “Pre-Tragic” Writing
When screenwriters or actors anticipate dramatic payoffs too early, the reality of the scene collapses. Characters do not have the script in hand; they only experience the immediate next step.
“You must remember that you don’t have the script… Don’t be pre-tragic or pre-funny. We haven’t seen the gag, we haven’t fallen down the hole. You can’t act like you know. For Karel [in The Trek], I just played like he doesn’t know – it’s one step in front of the other. The strong Afrikaans man who’s bound to the land and has a family, and yet he’s powerless to the cards that he’s been dealt. It’s just a façade, and he doesn’t think about it as a façade.”
Collaboration, Ethics and the “Why”
Longevity in the film industry requires balancing creative surrender with clear personal intent. Visser underscores that acting and writing can quickly consume an artist if ego eclipses purpose.
“Stanislavski’s motto has been mine for the last 15 years: ‘Find the art within yourself, not yourself in the art.’ Eventually, you’ll run out of the artistic legs to do what you do, and you’re going to have to draw back on your own life. If acting has been your only thing… when you’re rejected, there’s nothing to fall back on. The more fulfilling your life, the more you can bring to your craft.”
When it comes to professional conduct and set dynamics, Visser has a guiding team-orientated principle.
“I don’t treat anyone more or less important than the other – producer, director, actor, chaperone, runner. I know that it takes a whole team to get the call sheet done in the day… At the time when I come out of the pool to do another take, the most important person on set is the person holding the towel – not the director or whether they got the shot.”