The year of Cobreezy: Presley Chweneyagae lets us in on his The River character

News24

28-05-2025

Award-winning actor Presley Chweneyagae died on Tuesday. In his honor, we reflect on a memorable conversation we had with him during the height of his illustrious career.
He's a busy man right now. He's helping his son become an ace debater while trying to keep the family together.
There's a lot going on in his life, but the one thing that remains constant is his English, which he throws out in spades, whether he's drinking at a tavern or spending time with his family.
That's Cobra aka Cobreezy for you.
The man who plays him, Presley Chweneyagae, thankfully has none of that kind of drama in real life.
He recently scooped an outstanding lead actor award at the Royalty Soapie Awards.
We look back back at an interview we did with him.
MASSIVE COBRA
Presley, who's originally from Mahikeng and is based in Pretoria, says he's enjoying the role of Cobra. His character is fondly known for using big words on the show. 'Cobra would never simply say 'good morning', he would say 'revolutionary greetings' instead,' Presley says with a laugh.
'He's a very interesting character to play. He's a complex in many ways and he is based on many uncles in people's families where you really don't understand why he's not successful when he's so smart.
Read more 5 things you didn't know about The River's Presley Chweneyagae
'But in many instances, people's careers are interrupted because the bottle takes over and that changes their lives. 'He's the type of guy who uses big English words to show everyone that he is well-read, that his general knowledge is on point and after a few drinks he is not afraid to tell people's secrets,' he says. One of Cobra's favourite words is 'massive' and he says he chuckles when fans come up to him in public and call him 'Massive'.
'Some of the fans come to me and imitate Cobra or say, 'He, monna, e kae diamond?' (Hey, man, where is the diamond?) because Cobra recently stole it. I am humbled by the way the fans appreciate the character because it reminds us of the human element, it means our work touches them somehow.'
GETTING STARTED
He started out his career on a high note when the filmed he starred in, Tsotsi, won an Oscar for best foreign language film in 2006. 'When I auditioned for Tsotsi there were seasoned actors who were there for the same role but because I was younger, I got it. It opened many doors for me,' Presley says. He is still in contact with his co-star Terry Pheto who has also gone on to be in major productions such as The Bold and The Beautiful. 'She's my sister. We speak every now and again and it's wonderful to see her doing such great things.'
Presley started attending drama classes for R5 in his younger days in Mahikeng and went to Tshwane University of Technology to study acting, but when the opportunity for Tsotsi came along, he took it.
He was away from school for more than eight weeks and when he wanted to return, he was told he had missed too much work for that year. He never went back.
'The industry is changing. We must accept that there are people who went to school for this, some have honours and others come in through social media, but acting is not simple, it's more than just 'likes',' he says. He's travelled the world in various theatre productions going to countries like Scotland, Germany and France.
'I've been very fortunate to be able to do something I love. I started in theatre and when this opportunity for a TV role came, I took it with both hands. As an artist, one always seeks to be relevant. The older generation know me as Tsotsi and the skrrr skrrr generation know me as Cobreezy, and it's an honour for me to reach and impact different generations. I'm happy to create a body of work that resonates with the audience. I appreciate the love from the fans and it motivates me to do more.'
BAG OF TALENTS
His career has seen him play different roles in many productions – including More Than Just a Game and Zama Zama. In The River, he also stars alongside many great actors. 'You learn from the legends. I grew up watching Ntate Don and I've followed Moshidi's career, even in theatre.'
Read more | Sindi Dlathu on her character on The River: 'I don't recognize myself when watching her'
Acting with experienced actors is great but you can also learn something new when you act with the younger actors who are new to the industry if you open yourself up to it.
Whenever there's authenticity in work, that honesty comes out for the viewers.
'It's great when you're in a scene with someone who also works hard, it means you're able to feed off each other. It's great when you take it up a notch knowing the other person in the scene is able to go up with you.' Presley says Cobra has got a lot up his sleeve this season and that in the upcoming episodes of the show, views can expect to see 'fireworks'.
'Things are about to get interesting and there will be relationships that will suffer when loyalty is tested,' he reveals.
EXCITING PLANS
When he's not acting, he's busy with philanthropic work through his NGO, the Presley Chweneyagae Foundation. 'As a foundation, we do our best to give up-and-coming actors opportunities and teach them about the ins and outs of the industry.
'It's not as glamorous as it looks. We are often up at 4am every day and we work 12 hours. We do motivational talks and workshops as well. Not too long ago we had young actors from Free State, Mpumalanga and the North West in a play about substance abuse.
'The truth is, when you look at substance abuse it doesn't only affect the users but their families and communities as well.'
His foundation is also affiliated with the Southern African Youth Movement. Next, he plans to get into animation.
'These youngsters are great with technology and with art, so why not combine the two? There's money in animation and I would like to encourage them to get into those spaces. It's important to get them while they are still young so they know there are other career opportunities and they must not limit themselves to just acting. There are also behind-the-scenes opportunities available to them.
'I would also like to produce my own work going forward,' he adds.