Actor Anton Taylor on playing Tali’s ‘long-suffering’ husband Darren
Google Anton Taylor and you’ll no doubt find some photos of him living it up as a student at the University of Cape Town, hanging out with his mates – or maybe as the 2011 International Man of Movember.
In short, the very things you would expect to see photos of his Tali’s Baby Diary character Darren doing in his younger, pre-Tali, pre-GoldProp days.
Anton Taylor first featured as Darren in ‘Tali’s Wdding Diary’
Tali’s Baby Diary is a follow-up to the 2017 Showmax Original comedy series Tali’s Wedding Diary.
From the creators of Suzelle DIY, Tali’s Wedding Diary stars Julia Anastasopoulos as Tali, a Johannesburg princess on the road to the alter.
Tali’s Baby Diary has been on Showmax since 26 February and follows Tali’s shift from Instagram influencer to momfluencer, with Anton Taylor as hubby Darren by her side.
Anton Taylor aka Mr Tali is Mr Nice Guy
With Tali’s Baby Diary now available to binge in full on Showmax, Amanda Tremeer caught up with Anton Taylor. She says he’s “affable, open and friendly” and that “you’d definitely consider buying some prime Woodstock property from this guy”.
Q&A with Anton Taylor
How did you land the role of Darren?
“Julia and Ari [director Ari Kruger is married to Julia Anastasopoulos, who plays Tali] contacted me back in 2016, and said they had an idea for a show. It started with an eight-minute pilot, but we had to reshoot everything from scratch for the actual pilot because I’d lost 15kg,” Anton Taylor said.
“People always come up to me and say, ‘I love Tali and I love Rael and I love Michelle, Tali’s mom.’ I’m the sixth favourite character but I’m at peace with that.”
Tali was sometimes tough on Darren in ‘Tali’s Wedding Diary’. What do you think of their relationship?
“In season one, Darren was a bit downtrodden. I think in season two he’s resigned to the fact that he’s married to a crazy woman. He’s her ride or die – he supports her no matter what.
“Even in her worst moments, he’s standing there with her. He’s just a good oke who loves her to bits. But in this season, he’s definitely less scared of Tali.”
What’s in store for Darren in ‘Tali’s Baby Diary’?
“Darren’s in a good space. They’ve written a great story arc for him that’s been so much fun for me to play. In season one, he could be pretty rude to Rael, but he’s really a nice guy. In season two, he grows a bit of a backbone and I think he might surprise people. And Darren is going to be the best dad.”
How did you, Anton Taylor, prepare for the role?
“In season one I prepared so hard every day and then I’d get to set and they’d changed the scene! In Tali’s Wedding Diary, I get arrested and when Tali picks me up from the police station, I have to look really sad.
“I got to set at 11:00 and listened to my saddest music all day – Hootie and the Blowfish’s Time. By 17:00, when we actually shot it, I was so depressed I couldn’t get the words out and ended up having to do a voiceover. Now, if I need to cry in a scene, I just watch Chasing the Sun.”
What’s it like on set?
“The hours are longbut it’s the crew who really work hard. We have an all-woman sound crew, and the woman who holds the boom for hours on end is so tough.
“In season one, it took us a little while to find our vibe, but in season two we hit our marks from the beginning. The connections between the actors are so genuine. Darren has some great scenes and everyone else is so hilarious.
“We have had terrible problems with corpsing – where you laugh during a scene. Taryn (Kate Pinchuck) makes me laugh, but Tali’s mom is played by Kate Normington and she says lines and I have to exit.
“She’s hilarious. One of her lines was so funny that even though I wasn’t in the scene, you could hear me laughing in the background. I’m so glad they gave her a bigger role.
“Everyone is more hectic and more crazy – Michelle is more Michelle and Rael has a great storyline.”
Who else is on set?
“There are some amazing cameos in season two, like Danny K. It was basically the pinnacle of my life when he tagged me in a pic of us on Instagram and called me his boy.”
Tell us about your background
“I’m a pretty typical Cape Town guy. I went to Bishops, which was a bit like Lord of the Flies, and then spent a few years studying at UCT,” Anton Taylor said.
“I always wanted to be an actor in school — I was in all the school plays. Then I went to UCT and took drama as one of my subjects, and it wasn’t what I had expected.
“So, I started doing some YouTube videos and also did a web series called Jozi Shore. The aim was always to be an actor and I didn’t want my fate to be in the hands of some director who might not like the look of you.
“It’s tough when you’re in your late 20s, sending your friends YouTube skits and saying, ‘Please share this,’ and they’re doctors and building things. I was dogged and determined about it and it all worked out.
“My hope is that Neill Blomkamp watches Tali’s Baby Diary and is like, ‘I need a new leading man for my next movie.’ District 9 is so up my alley.”
What have you been up to since ‘Tali’s Wedding Diary’?
“Honestly, I’ve been waiting for season two! I’ve also been doing rugby commentating for SuperSport. While we were filming Tali’s Wedding Diary, there was an Idols-type competition to find a new commentator. I got into the top four, and when filming finished I went off to Craven Week.
“During the most recent Super Rugby and Currie Cup tournaments I did a weekly comedic wrap-up show for SA Rugby. It’s been really fun and exciting.
“I used to play rugby – I wasn’t a super star but I played for UCT Ikeys so it’s a world I’ve been involved in for a long time. My Afrikaans is terrible though – I can’t even get out two words! My Xhosa is a little bit better.
“I had a friend staying with me during lockdown because he was going through a rough patch. There’s a video of me running in to tell him that I’d got the call from Ari that there would be a season two. It’s the best thing in the world.
“Fame and popularity come and go — I want unconditional love. In season one I had all this attention and then people forget about you. It started to feel like an anecdote — “I was an actor” — so it’s great to get a second chance.
“I love the thought that people I’ve met in my life who don’t like me are forced to see my face on TV. Isn’t that what all actors are doing it for anyway?
“In the past four years, I lost a whole lot of weight, was in Tali’s Wedding Diary, started working for SuperSport, finished my master’s and wrote a novel. In retrospect, I was trying too hard to just get the book finished, so it won’t be published.
“I want to write more fiction, but there’s so much crazy stuff happening in the world that I feel like I should write non-fiction instead.”
Were you the chief COVID officer on set?
“Season one I knew was going to do well, and I know season two is even better. When I landed the role I thought I’m finally an actor after years of YouTube sharing – finally I’m doing something legit.
“Now I’m having that experience again, I see how ephemeral it is. I was so worried about COVID because I didn’t want anything to mess up my dream. I’ve been like a monk all through lockdown, not seeing people.”
What are you hoping for in season three?
“I’m hoping something happens like in Breaking Bad, where he starts out a wimp and by the end he’s murdering people. How’s that for a plot twist? Darren and Rael move to PE and start a drug syndicate.”
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