The Channel 5 show looks at a world where kids are left to fend for themselves after adults are wiped out by a mysterious virus. Meryl Cassie (Ebony) and Caleb Ross (Lex) play bad guys, but aren’t so bad at singing… as Club found out when we chatted about the new album inspired by the show.
The Tribe releases its Abe Messiah album to go with the funky series from New Zealand on March 19th 2001.
Caleb, who is a star singer and macho bad guy, told Club he’s never bought a single! But his first album was Puff The Magic Dragon…
“My Dad used to stop the record when it came to the bit when the dragon dies, because I would cry,” says Caleb.
It’s every teenagers’ fantasy to get rid of the adults. Such is the fab success of The Tribe.
Meryl Cassie, who plays evil Ebony, has a few fantasies of her own: “I would love to date Brad Pitt or Beckham, but they’re married.” Bad girl! “I would say no if they asked, honest, I’m very moral. I’ll have to settle for someone else. Maybe just a normal British boy, they’ve got great style.”
The future for Meryl Cassie who plays fiery Ebony in The Tribe looks to be a family affair…
“I sing with my sisters in a band, Nubian Angels,” she enthuses. “I love singing for The Tribe, but eventually I would like to be a star with my family.” One sister, Megan, has already had a flirt with fame: “She was in the New Zealand Popstars, True Bliss.”
The Tribe star Caleb Ross, alias devious Lex, is hard pushed when he has to decide between acting and music.
“I love doing both. Arrgh, I couldn’t decide. I guess I’ve always acted up around the house,” he grins.
“I really enjoy exploring my role as Lex, he’s bad but he pretends to be good.” Manipulative, eh? “Yeah…and recently he’s fallen in love which is very alien to him.”
Caleb Ross, who stars in The Tribe, a C5 show from New Zealand, told Club that the Aussies are always claiming Kiwi talent as their own.
“One of my favourite actors is Russell Crowe, who was actually born in New Zealand and moved to Australia in his late teens,” Caleb tuts. So does he like the Brits?
“I do, yeah. Bizarrely I like the cold weather too! Must be my Scots ancestry!”
16-year-old Meryl Cassie who plays Ebony in The Tribe says she would hate it if there were no adults around.
“I just don’t know what I would do without my mum, she’s a star. And who would plait my hair?” she jokes.
More seriously, Caleb sees the issues explored as pretty intense: “Like teen pregnancy, drugs…the kids have to imagine what an adult would do in these situations.”