Willem de la Querra

Willem de la Querra(1922-1992) was a stage and film actor, theatre manager, technician and administrator. He was also a painter, author and poet.

Biography

Born Joseph William Cybert de la Querra in George on 15 September 15, 1922, one of 8 children, and raised in George. He married Catharina Gezina Burger and the couple had five children, including Billy de la Querra and Carin de la Querra.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

He became a professional actor in 1945. At first he toured with the Johan Fourie-toneelgeselskap, then in the early 50's he founded his own Koffiehuis touring company, playing in the Cape Province and South West Africa. For these shows he created the character of "Vaalwillem", an unkempt individual, in need of a haircut and decent clothes, and his wife, "Meraai", sharing their larger than life experiences with audiences.

At the age of 30, when his first child was on its way, he dissolved his company, to find a more "stable" job as signwriter and later secretary for the Drama Department of the University of Stellenbosch. Employed as the secretary, he was also the set builder and promotions man for the department.

As set builder and technician, he built the set for the Shirley Ehlers and Johan van Jaarsvelt production of Lobola vir die Lewe, also acting in the play, which got him noticed by CAPAB, and led to a full time job as actor (from 1965 to 1979).

He was largely a character actor and often a bit-part player, and among the highlights with CAPAB were roles in 'n Seder val in Waterkloof, Die Paddas, Othello, Mooi Maria and Die Geldpot.

In 1976 however he was cast in the lead role of "Faan" in Pieter Fourie's Faan se Trein (1975) and again in Faan se Stasie (1976), a role he would play on and off for the next five years and made him famous.

As a film actor he appeared in King Hendrik (Emil Nofal/1965) and Kootjie Emmer (Koos Roets/1977) and, for television, Die Koster, (Stephan Bouwer/1985).