As fiery and full of energy as ever, nine-year-old Marley Valentine from Rocklands didn’t hold back when talking about her latest role, and this time she’s sharing the screen with her big brother.

She and 14-year-old Riley Valentine star together in The Meeting, a psychological thriller short film written and directed by Nic Matthee. The film explores the fragile line between reality and delusion through the unraveling mind of Sebbie De Kock, played by Tyrique Williams.

In the story, the Valentine siblings play two children caught in a terrifying moment of chaos. “We had to play the role of two kids caught in a horrific meeting. There were gunshots and loud screaming. We had to really show fear,” Riley explained.

But Marley, confident and bubbling with enthusiasm, quickly chimed in. “I’ve done action scenes before in the other films I did with Nic,” she said. “So this time, I had to show my brother how to get into character.”

A shy Riley laughed, admitting he was a little intimidated at first. “I was nervous,” he confessed. “But seeing Marley do this before, helped me know what to expect.” He commented on how impressed he was by his younger sister’s professionalism on set. “She actually helped me stay calm. She’s so professional, she doesn’t burst out laughing like I thought she would. She keeps a serious face.”

Marley giggled, adding that working together also meant plenty of snack breaks. “It takes a long time to get the scenes perfect, so we get bored and hungry,” she said. “My mommy packs a lot of snacks because we’re out there for so long. I like snacks.”

Their mom, Venecia Valentine, couldn’t hide her pride. “I am very impressed with them. The fact that they are expressing themselves through art, they are very artistic kids in their own ways, so the two of them doing it together is quite admirable,” she said. “They’re like any brother and sister who fight and argue, but when they come together, they come together. It was fun seeing the two of them gel together on set with Nic. They were more curious than anything, wanting to learn and see how the props work.”

While The Meeting explores dark and psychological themes, the siblings took it all in stride. “Sometimes the gunshots go off when we aren’t ready,” Marley admitted, laughing. “It gives us a big fright!”

When it comes to acting idols, Marley looks up to “the guys from White Chicks, the Wayans brothers,” while Riley said he’s inspired by Jim Carrey. “I love him in Ace Ventura because I also love animals,” he explained. “He played a cool role as the pet detective, and he’s funny too.”

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