Filmed entirely on location and in high-definition – a first for SA – M-Net’s The Wild promises suspense, scandal, veteran actors Ian Roberts and Connie Ferguson, the Big Five and, most importantly, a shiny new star turn in the form of Gail Nkoane.

Gail plays the enigmatic Lelo, a character she herself describes as a colourful personality. “She’s the editor of Chic magazine, so she’s fashionable and a go-getter; the kind of woman who walks into a room and commands attention.” Gail also reveals that Lelo’s weakness is a need to be loved – the essential ingredient in the juicy love triangle that ensues (but you didn’t hear that from us). Even more intriguing than the plot is Gail herself. Like her character, when Gail arrives on the scene you know she’s someone worth watching.

When you first meet this Kimberley-born beaut, there are two things that strike you: the first is that disarming beauty (a product of great genes), ubiquitous smile and lioness eyes.

Gail could easily rely on her looks to become just another pretty B-lister on South Africa’s forget-me-a-lot celeb scene, but this brings us to our second observation: she’s got the kind of smarts, poise and confidence that belie her 26 years. And despite the killer body (which she’s worked for), three fallback careers and the fact that she lives life on her own terms, she’s still incredibly humble about it all.

“I like to keep busy, but my hectic schedule is setting the tone for he rest of my life. The choices I make with my time today will pay off later,” she says. Truly, this is a woman on the cusp of something extraordinary.

A Force To Be Reckoned With

The day of the photo shoot is windy, even for Cape Town, but perfectly fitting for a talent like Gail’s. The make-up artist seems almost superfluous. So what’s Gail’s “my skin is so clear I look like I’ve been airbrushed” beauty secret?

“I do feel genetics played a hand – my mom didn’t have problems; she had flawless skin. But it has a lot to do with how healthy your habits are.” One rule she swears by: “I wear a lot of make-up on set, so when I’m done shooting I take it off immediately. And when I’m not working I never wear it.”

But what explains the perpetual glow on her face, which no amount of foundation and powder can simulate? “I drink lots and lots of water,” fesses Gail, somewhat disappointingly. They do say it works.

The studio is packed for the shoot. Not only is Gail in front of our photographer’s lens – there are seven other cameras trained on her constantly. Not forgetting the army of journos waiting to toss questions at the rising star once she’s done. Mere mortals would be intimidated. “I’m not shy,” says Gail. “I used to be shy, or reserved,” she muses as she climbs into her heels. But standing in the line of clicking fire, you see no sign of this former childhood trait.

This is probably because back when most five year olds were playing dress-up, Gail was on stage competing for real-life tiaras. She admits that pageants tend to get bad press for their cattle-market connotations, but for Gail, it was a journey that made her the woman she is today.

“It [pageantry] definitely built my character in terms of being comfortable in my body and skin, and even comfortable with not winning. When I entered Miss Teen South Africa in 2001, I made it to the top five. They announced the first and second princesses, and there were three of us left. As they were about to reveal the winner, inside I was like, Let it be me! Let it be me!” It wasn’t her moment, but she was not disheartened for a second.

“Pageants help you feel at ease with losing.” And without a hint of bitterness she adds: “That’s what made it possible for me to enter Idols and take hits from Randall!”

Even after the pelting she received on the show, Gail picked herself up and took full advantage of the exposure she’d received.

“I knew if I used the publicity wisely, I could do something else. By the time I got voted off, I had all these great contacts.” Her intuition proved spot-on. Without any formal acting training, she landed her first supporting role, playing an investigative reporter in Zion, due for release later this year. And it was on the back of this first foray that Gail auditioned for a role in The Wild. She bagged the part and now appears alongside her role model Connie Ferguson. “I look up to Connie – not only from an acting perspective, but also because of what she’s managed to do with her brand. I get lots of advice from her. It’s not often you get to chat and work with someone you look up to.”

Body Of Work

These days Gail boasts the kind of hourglass measurements that would land her a starring role on Mad Men – tiny waist, curvy silhouette and screen-siren cleavage. But it wasn’t always this way.

“I have to exercise. I’ve made peace with the fact that some people can eat anything and don’t have to. I have to do it,” says Gail. Which means four or five 30-minute gym sessions a week. “I’ve been a size 36 before,” says Gail, and that might be considered a bit heavy for her height and the fact that she’s in front of the unforgiving, kilo-loading camera from nine to five. “I’ve been chubby simply because I let myself go, so I work out now.”

Her exercise routine gives her the licence to indulge in the food she loves. “I eat chocolate, but obviously in moderation,” she admits, “and I have to have hot wings once or twice a week – I have to! I could eat them every day, but I know that if I have them for lunch, I have to have a light meal for dinner.”

To keep the hot wings off her hot bod she does weight training twice and cardio three times a week – sans personal trainer. She prefers going at her own pace. “I want to start kickboxing too. I’d like to get an acting role that requires me to get physical, so kickboxing would help.”

When Gail isn’t pulling 12-hour music or acting sessions, she likes hanging out at home, but admits she struggles to relax. “I’m at an age where I have a lot of energy. I try to laze around, but that doesn’t last for long because I get bored easily. I admit there are days when I get tired.” Even then she can’t stay down. Her secret? “I don’t have curtains at my place, so I can’t sleep in late.”

As far as her budding career as an actress is concerned, she says she learns a lot from scrutinising actors’ techniques and discussing them with her acting coach. She’s no ingénue: Gail knows that acting is an art and that she needs to acquire the right skills if she wants to make her mark.

“So far I have no regrets – everything that’s happened in my life has moulded me, built my character and brought me to where I am. I’d probably be a different person today if I hadn’t gone through [what’s happened to me]. But if there was one thing I’d wish to be different, it would be that my mom and brother were alive.”

Gail’s brother died in an electrical accident in 2006 and, tragically, just six month’s later, she lost her mother to a long illness. She passed away on Christmas Eve. “It was by far the hardest time of my life, but God brought me and my family through it. Death teaches you to have a purpose. My purpose is to serve, whether it’s through my acting or my music, to tell my life story and inspire the next person. That’s why I’m into community and youth development in the Northern Cape. I’m at a point where I love giving back. Life is not just about receiving.”

But if her achievements so far are anything to go by, Gail Nkoane is going to be the recipient of much attention and many accolades in years to come. Entirely self-made, she has the attitude and the talent to realise her dreams. And we’ll be watching.

The Days Of Her Life

These highlights are just the beginning of a brilliant career:

2001: Miss Teen SA, top five
In only her second beauty pageant, Gail beat Minki van der Westhuizen, making it to number four in the top five.

2001: Miss Kaizer Chiefs
Gail’s first goal was for famed soccer club Kaizer Chiefs, the crowning glory for this avid soccer fan and one-time Kaizer Chiefs cheerleader.

2003: Miss Black Like Me, first runner-up
Beating Channel O’s Nonhle Thema to first runner-up, Gail proved that if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.

2010: Kickoff Soccer Babe
Perhaps not her most feminist moment, but Gail struck a chord by keeping most of her kit on for this well-known photo shoot.

2010: Idols, top 10
Gail stood out at the Bloemfontein auditions, where the judges said they knew they’d found a star – it just wasn’t to be in the Idols arena this time around.

2010: Zion, big screen
South Africa’s very own Dreamgirl goes from singing to acting, proving there’s nothing she can’t master.

2011: The Wild, TV soap
Could this be the start of something extraordinary?