Who is Frankie and Felipé? Bradley and Solomon talk about their roots
Ask Bradley Olivier and Solomon Cupido about their Silwerskerm Festival feature film Frankie en Felipé, and you quickly realize that this talented duo make a formidable team. Regardless whether they’re talking about Bradley and Solomon, Spacekriek and Dakskroef, or about Frankie and Felipé.
It’s almost as if Bradley and Solomon, also the co-producers and screenwriters of Frankie en Felipé, were once brothers in the same house, much like the characters in their romantic comedy. They speak the same language, tease each other and are hilarious together.
It all makes sense when you hear they’re ex-Paarl boys who’ve been mates since high school. “Yes, this has been coming since 2001. If we had a child, the baby would be 22 already,” jokes Solomon.
A mutual friend introduced the two barefoot boys at church youth group. Two years later, aspiring actor Solomon changed schools to New Orleans, as it was the only school in the area that offered drama as a subject. Guess who was in his class? “And from then on he just couldn’t leave me alone,” teases Bradley.
After matric they went to Northlink College and at the end of their first year, were part of a group of six drama students who were selected to complete their studies at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Around this time, the duo created two goofy stage characters called Spacekriek and Dakskroef, who’ve kept audiences at local churches and schools in stitches for twenty years. The blood brothers and career comrades acted in several productions together – from Bakgat 2 and Bakgat 3 to Binnelanders and the kykNET film, Draaloos.
Bradley and Solomon answer a few questions in their own words about their latest and biggest project to date, Frankie en Felipé.
- Frankie and Felipé are brothers who were separated as children and later run into each other under the strangest of circumstances. How did you go about creating these characters?
Solomon: “Given our partnership with Spacekriek and Dakscrew, it was very easy for us to write Frankie and Felipé, two completely different characters.”
- Tell us more about Frankie and Felipé.
Bradley: “Frankie is the guy who made it out of the flats. He’s the type of guy whose whole identity and world revolves around his girlfriend and fiancée, because he’s an orphan without family. Frankie is also a team player. He cares for the people around him, but his weakness is that he hasn’t really dealt with his past.”
Solomon: “On the other hand, Felipé is a mama’s boy. His mother and father spoiled him very much because he was their only child together. Felipé’s father was Frankie’s stepfather. After his father’s death, Felipé had to sell fake perfume to look after his mother. So, he’s the guy who still lives in the flats, but everyone loves him because he’s so charming. He’s the guy you want at a party, man.”
- How do you differ from the characters you play in the movie?
Bradley: “I swear if you asked the guys at school, they would have thought Solomon was going to play Frankie. Solomon was the golden boy, the cool guy. I was the funny guy and when we got bigger, the roles changed. Now Solomon is one of the funniest South African actors. I did write many other things about my life into Frankie. So, I’m closer to Frankie than I am different from him. Unfortunately, I just don’t have a BMW!”
Solomon: “I think my wife would say I’m a mama’s boy. I don’t think so. Like Felipé, I have always wanted to look after my mom, because she is alone and not very healthy. Felipé is also rooted in religion. That’s one of his cool features. He also likes a hat, just like me.”
- Brett Michael Innes collaborated on the screenplay. How did that work?
Bradley: “Because it was our first full-length script, Brett was very involved in the initial structuring and layout, as he is a seasoned writer. So, we got guidance from him about the rhythm and structure of a screenplay.”
- Danie Bester from Film Factory is a co-producer. How did that help you?
Solomon: “We have a very good relationship with Danie from the days of the Bakgat movies. For example, he allowed us to write our own dialogue for those characters.”
Bradley: “Yes, we’ve worked with Film Factory before, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. I also acted in Vaselinetjie and Ballade vir ’n enkeling and Solomon was in Pad na jou hart.”
- Perfume causes quite a few laughs in Frankie en Felipé? What is your favourite perfume?
Solomon: “Felipé sells fake perfume. I buy it. It’s something we can really relate to. My favourite is Black Access. My wife buys it about once a year, but otherwise Felipé and I are in the same boat.”
Bradley: “Mine is Dunhill Desire – in the original and fake form. But I think Frankie is an Armani guy with all his suits and fanciness. Frankie is not as obsessed with perfume as Felipé, but it’s funny that Frankie is the one that would smell like a million dollars.”
- What more should we know about Frankie en Felipé, the feature film?
Solomon: “It’s a comedy. It’s a family movie and it’s a buddy comedy. We had a lot of fun, and I think the audience will see that.”
- So, what’s next for Bradley and Solomon?
Bradley: “Our company is currently working on four new films. All different genres, but humour is the thread that runs through all of them. We want to give our audience a good time.”
Solomon: “Yes, I think there’s a very long road ahead for Frankie and Felipé, Spacekriek and Dakskroef, Bradley and Solomon.”
Frankie en Felipé, with Marvin Lee Beukes as director, screens on Wednesday 25 August at 16:30 at the festival.