Emily-Rose van Diemel spices up Skemergrond with an exciting guest appearance as Melanie de Jager
An exciting new twist arrives with Emily-Rose von Diemel’s guest appearance as Melanie de Jager in Skemergrond. On the surface, Melanie seems gentle and quiet, but beneath this exterior lurks a manipulative and strong side that can change everything in Gemoedsdrif.
“She doesn’t look like someone who would be involved in any illegal activities at all,” says Emily-Rose. “She can change from calm and uncertain in a moment to hard and confident. It was challenging, but soul-enriching to play such a role.”
To capture Melanie’s complexity, Emily-Rose delved deeply into the character. She created a backstory, studied her motives and spoke with fellow actors about the role to understand her inner being.
“It allowed me to build Melanie step by step and bring her energy to the set,” she says.
Emily-Rose’s time on the Skemergrond set was special and a valuable learning experience.
“I enjoyed every moment. From the directors and actors to the makeup and costume teams – everyone was incredibly supportive. It helped me grow a lot as an actress.”
When comparing Melanie’s personality and values to her own, Emily-Rose notices both similarities and differences.
“I won’t go against my own values, but like Melanie, I can take on new challenges with confidence.” She adds: “I really like her – I understand her motives and enjoyed her courage and sassiness.”
2025 was an exciting year for Emily-Rose, with highlights such as her role in Skemergrond and the screening of The Heart is a Muscle, in which she made an appearance, at the Silwerskerm Festival. The film has since been chosen as South Africa’s official submission for the 2026 Oscars. In the coming year, she hopes to take on more roles, grow in the industry and continue pursuing her dreams.
Skemergrond airs every Monday to Thursday at 19:30 on kykNET & kie (DStv Channel 145) and is also available on DStv Stream and Catch Up.
