East London-born Genna Blair has won the coveted role of Debbie 'The Mermaid' in the film version of John van de Ruit’s Spud novel. 'The Mermaid' is Spud’s first love – a significant development on his path through the minefield of being a teenage boy.

Grade 11 student Genna is an accomplished dancer and actor and an active participant in a variety of sports. She has acted in plays throughout her school career and trained in ballet for six years before switching to modern dancing. In Grade 8, she qualified for a spot in the SA Rowing Championships and was selected as one of the country’s youngest dancers to perform at Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches in 2009.

Despite her hectic academic; dancing; acting; and sporting schedule, Genna has also found time to work as a photographic model and was a runner-up in the 2008 Dee M Fashion Promotions Miss Teenage Pageant.

Spud: The Movie Producers, Ross Garland and Brad Logan, say that Genna stood out from the crowd of young actors who auditioned to play Mermaid. “Genna is a beautiful, multi-talented young lady who displayed a great understanding of the Mermaid character in her audition,” says Garland. Logan adds “she is the perfect actor for the role – her vitality and passion for acting really elevated her above the rest of the girls who auditioned and we’re sure she’s really going to blow everyone away.”