Marion Holm on Joining Binnelanders: 'My Knees Were Shaking' on Her First Day

• Veteran actress and comedian Marion Holm made her Binnelanders debut as Wilmien Dekker on 6 November
• The 61-year-old admitted the fast-paced soap opera environment was unlike anything she had experienced before
• Holm revealed that co-star Francois Lensley played a major role in helping her find her footing on set

Veteran South African actress and comedian Marion Holm has opened up about how nerve-wracking it was to step onto the set of kykNET soap opera Binnelanders for the first time, admitting she was far more anxious than she let on.

Speaking to Maroela Media, the 61-year-old described the experience of making her debut as character Wilmien Dekker on 6 November as both terrifying and thrilling. "It was frightening for me. My knees were shaking. I was so nervous that first day. But what a privilege; it is fantastically wonderful," she said.

A whole new world for Holm

Joining a soap opera turned out to be nothing like anything Holm had done before. With scenes filmed in rapid succession at Stark Studios in Johannesburg, she compared the pace to boarding a speeding train. "It is like a Japanese bullet train. You see it coming, and you just have to jump," she quipped, staying true to her famously sharp sense of humour.

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She was equally stunned by the multi-camera setup and the speed at which directors block scenes. "I sometimes asked whether he didn't have a pause and rewind button," she laughed. When not filming, she found herself memorising lines or simply admiring the studio's gardens and architecture.

Holm was candid about the steep learning curve. "The nerves never go away. This is my job — people pay me for this — but I am not familiar with soaps. I learn a little more every day. I do have to justify being paid," she said.

Francois Lensley became her lifeline on set

Much of her early confidence on set came from sharing scenes with Francois Lensley, who plays Henry Louw on Binnelanders. Lensley, a seasoned soap actor known for his time on 7de Laan, taught Holm the subtle mechanics of working in the genre, including how to shift naturally with the cameras mid-scene without breaking character.

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"He is intelligent and nice; it is fantastic to work with him. Some people can become patronising when they teach you something, but not him. From adult to adult, actor to actor, he said a thing," Holm recalled. She joked that his support was so instrumental she felt like "a Mazda 323 being towed out of the mud by a Jeep."

She also praised the broader team spirit on the production, saying the warmth of everyone from directors to catering staff genuinely caught her off guard. "People's friendliness disarmed, overwhelmed, and astonished me. Even the people who cook for us daily do it with a smile. It is a beautiful sense of community," she said.

Having survived health problems, Holm made clear she is selective about where she invests her energy. "I will not spend my time with unpleasant people — even if it were Steven Spielberg offering me a role," she added.

Source: Briefly News