Hit web series Suzelle DIY's creator, Julia Anastasopoulos, just revealed the trailer for her long-awaited ShowMax series -- a wedding mockumentary called Tali's Wedding Diary -- and it left the HuffPost SA team in stitches.
After watching it (probably more times than we should have), we were left wondering how Jules keeps on churning out these hyper-self-aware shows. Is she a comedic mastermind? Or just lucky? Is she making fun of us? Or just holding up the mirror?
We spoke to her this week, as Julia, not Suzelle or Tali, and learnt a little more about what it took to make Tali, and how she stays Julia between all the laughs.
What's the response been to Tali so far? The video's been watched more than 35,000 times in four days!
It's amazing. I honestly didn't believe it would get as much traction as it has. But also, it's a huge weight off my shoulders. This has been in production for a year, so I'm really happy it's out there.
Where did Tali come from?
It's very hard to tell. I've always had the idea for this character, but I never really knew what to do with her. You know, we all have a Tali in our lives. I'm from Joburg, where I knew many Talis, but she has evolved on her own, and she has different influences.
She's very different to Suzelle.
Suzelle is so loveable, whereas Tali, you know, we love to hate her. But it's successful because that's how the comedy differs, and I think that people can identify with that. We see her flaws by the end of the season, and see why she is who she is.
So now, how are you feeling about the release in a few weeks' time?
Suzelle has been such a success, and now I don't know how people are going to react, so it's very scary! But it's a leap that I wanted to take, and, if anything, I just want to show a different side to myself as an actress and creator.
How do you keep Suzelle separate from Tali?
Are they separate? It's a blur. It's tough. We do Suzelle in chunks, and then Tali in chunks, so at least I'm not hopping between the two characters, but they all kind of become one anyway.
Please tell us, do Suzelle and Tali ever meet in real life?
Oh shame! They do actually meet... Well, what I meant to say is that we are really hoping that Tali can be a guest on Suzelle's show one day. But you'll need to watch the show to find out.
Tali's Wedding Diary premieres on ShowMax on December 14.