Presley Chweneyagae Dies: ‘Tsotsi' Star Was 40
Presley Chweneyagae, who broke out in Oscar-winning South African movie Tsotsi, has died aged 40.
Chweneyagae's agent confirmed the news to AP and described him as one of South Africa's 'most gifted and beloved actors.'
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'His passion for empowering the next generation of artists will remain integral to his legacy,' MLA CEO Nina Morris Lee said in a statement. She did not detail his cause of death.
Chweneyagae broke out playing the eponymous ead in Tsotsi, Gavin Hood's movie about a protagonist who leads a gang of small-time thugs. The writer of the original Tsotsi source material, Athol Fugard, died earlier this year aged 92. Tsotsi won the 2006 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and is one of the most recognizable South African films of all time.
After Tsotsi, Chweneyagae went on to feature in a number of projects including Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and iNumber Number: Jozi Gold. As recently as last year, he won a South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) for telenovela The River.
SAFTA paid tribute to Chweneyagae on X, calling him 'a true legend of South African cinema.' 'It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Presley Chweneyagae — a powerhouse performer whose talent left an indelible mark on our screens and in our hearts,' added the body.
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