Four and a half years later and we get see who voiced the Afrikaans dubbing of Elif.
Introducing Emma Nelson:
When the show first started there was no picture of her available when we featured
the show's voice cast so we've always wondered who she is.
On Tuesday evening eMedia held a farewell screening of the finale in downtown Cape Town and there she was... at the centre of the event with her mom Elinor and dad Pierre Nelson, who's a voiceover artist and dubbing director at Overklank where Elif was dubbed.
Emma was 10 when the show first started and now she's 15.
Scooch in for our convo:
Emma: My dad told me about the role because he also does voiceovers there and I wanted to go to try out. I went to audition for Elif and Tugçe, the other little girl.
I actually really wanted to get the voice of Tugçe because I really liked her attitude but luckily I got the role of Elif and I was very overwhelmed because I did not think I would get the role.
It was my first ever acting job and I'm really grateful.
TVSA: How was your life impacted by it? How often did you have to do the voiceovers? How did that work?
Emma: I didn't go often, I would go maybe once a week at the most, sometimes more in the like holidays when I would go for a day and I would record a lot of episodes.
Sometimes I would only go for a few hours, in the holidays I would go for an entire day.
We also take breaks - it's just reading and recording and it goes really fast.
TVSA: How would you describe your relationship with Elif?
Emma: So honestly, she does sometimes annoy me, but I really love her because I've seen her grow up and my voice grew up with her. I have a special place in my heart for Elif and the show.
I can't believe it's ending, it's crazy.
TVSA: And at school? Do your friends know that you're her voice?
Emma: Some of my friends know, but I don't tell a lot of people 'cos it's hard to explain that I'm dubbing a Turkish voice because not everyone knows about it but some of my friends do know about it.
My one friend, his mom watches it, so he hears my voice a lot. *
laughs*
TVSA: What do you want to do when you finish school?
Emma: I really want to be an actor but my parents want me to be realistic so my back-up is to be a therapist. I really wanna be an actor though, but if that doesn't work out, I want to study psychology.
TVSA: How have you changed since you started Elif?
Emma: I don't really know how I've changed... I definitely got older because a lot has happened. I feel like I know Elif's story so well.
I remember everything that happened to her in Season 1 and I think she learns a really important lesson: if you go through everything in life, you can still be a kind person, be a nice person, even if everything's going wrong, which is really inspirational.
TVSA: What's next for you?
Emma: I'm playing a role with my face, me, not my voice, in a kykNET show coming out in March called
Niggies, where you're actually going to see me for the first time.
Emma's playing the role of Klipper.
TVSA: What did you learn through the Elif experience?
Emma: I learned a lot about the voice acting industry and I also learnt how to read faster and speak more clearly because I do have a little bit of a lisp and I struggle with speaking.
I'm really good with my orals now when I'm at school because I know how to read fast and clearly.
Elif also taught me not to be polite to strangers because if you're polite to them, they will kidnap you.
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