Pierre van Pletzen

Pierre van Pletzen (1951-) is an actor, writer and director on stage, TV and film, and one-time lecturer in drama.

Biography

Born in Klerksdorp on 1 May, 1951, he studied drama at the University of Pretoria.

He began work as an actor for PACT and later also at PACOFS. For a number of years he was a lecturer at Pretoria Technikon’s Drama School. He was part of the original cast of the hugely popular Afrikaans sitcom, 7de Laan ("7th Avenue").

He was married to the actress Elzette Maarschalk (1985-1995) and the couple had two children - the singer Pierre-Henry van Pletzen and the actress and designer Zetske van Pletzen. In 1996 he married actress Sandra Vaughan [1].

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

As actor

Acted in Die Ryk Weduwee (CAPAB 1974).

As director

He directed Babbelkous! (1984) and a revival of Anthony Shaffer’s Sleuth at the Andre Huguenet in 1988. He directed the musical Buddy at the Civic in 1993. Other directing credits include Haaks by Chris Vorster. (KKNK, 2005), ** .

As artistic director

He was made Artistic Head of Drama for PACOFS in the mid 1980s.

In TV and Film

Television roles include "Momberg" in the TV movie Gideon Scheepers (1982), "Eben Meintjies" in the series 1922 (1984), and "Spike Potas" in the popular Afrikaans TV-series Orkney Snork Nie ("Orkney does not snore", 1989), which made him a familiar face. But his role as "Oubaas" in the iconic Afrikaans TV sitcom 7de Laan ("7th Avenue" - 2000-) has made him a household name in the country. He was also a director for the latter series until 2016. He is scheduled to leave the series in August 2017. (News24 [2]).

In 2017 Van Pletzen became the first artist to appear on three different and competing TV channels simultaneously, starring in three different Afrikaans shows, in different roles. (News24 [3]).

Film work includes roles in Panic Mechanic (1996), Orkney Snork Nie! 2 (nog 'n movie) (1993), Orkney Snork Nie! (die movie) (1992), Taxi to Soweto (1991), The Fourth Reich (1990), Windprints (1990), The Gods Must Be Crazy II (1989) as George,

As translator

His many translations include My Boetie se Sussie se Ou, an Afrikaans version of Ray Cooney's Caught in the Net

As lecturer

Later taught at Pretoria Technikon’s Drama School. * Became beloved national figure when he created the character “Oubaas” in the iconic Afrikaans TV sitcom Sewende Laan. VAN PLETZEN, Pierre , Artistic Head of Drama, PACOFS,+- 1985.