In conversation with... Jessica Marais
Women's Health South Africa|January 2017

SA-born, Aussieraised Jessica Marais is making waves across the seas with her hot new drama TV series and living life successfully as a single mom...

Tara Ali
In conversation with... Jessica Marais

Oprah Winfrey, Germaine Greer and playwright Anton Chekhov all share the same birthday. I know this because Jessica Marais tells me they share her late-January date of birth, which leads to a discussion about star-sign characteristics – she’s an Aquarius. “They’re usually very creative,” she says, fixing me with her baby blues. It’s the first glimpse of the rather lovely spiritual side to the South African-born 31-year-old actress (and mom to daughter, Scout), who will star in the upcoming series, The Wrong Girl, based on the bestselling novel of the same name…

A THEME OF THE WRONG GIRL IS TURNING 30, A LIFE STAGE WHERE YOU’RE TRYING TO BE AN ADULT BUT ALSO STILL FEEL LIKE YOU’RE STUCK AT 21. DID YOU RELATE OR ARE YOU A LIFE-PLAN PERSON?

“No! I completely related and I think that’s why the project spoke to me. In your twenties you live so presently in the moment, you’re not quite as aware of where you are in life, you just grab at opportunities and go. When I turned 30 I started reflecting and realising, ‘Oh hang on…’ You look at your parents and older friends and how they live. But I think we’re probably always trying to do adulting better. It’s a myth that one day you’ll just be grown up and everything’s sorted. Such a myth!”

SO, HOW DO YOU NURTURE YOUR SPIRITUAL SIDE?

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