by Thinus Ferreira
The prolific South African actor Jonathan Pienaar died on Monday morning in his sleep in Johannesburg after apparently suffering a type of heart failure.
His ex-wife, Rosana Maya - the couple recently got divorced - in a Facebook post said "Most beautiful man, unique soul… like your wolves, you gave so much for so little… the world is a lesser place without you in it, my sadness too deep. fly with angels my love".
Jonathan Pienaar was a prolific actor and appeared in several South African TV series and films. His health recently deteriorated after he had suffered a heart attack.
Jonathan Pienaar appeared as the character of De Villiers in the second and third seasons of Yizo Yizo on SABC1, was Pietman in the first and second seasons of Triptiek on SABC2, and portrayed Chris Barlow in the two seasons of The Lab on SABC3.
He had roles in numerous other South African TV soaps, ranging from Generations on SABC1 to Binnelanders on kykNET (DStv 144) and Legacy on M-Net (DStv 101).
In TV drama series, Jonathan Pienaar appeared in Wolwedans in die Skemer, Cape Town, Hartland, Heartlines, Hillside, Hopeville, Danger Coast, The Syndicate, Keeping Score, Meeulanders and the second season of Onder Draai die Duiwel Rond, as well as the SABC1 police drama series Task Force and Queen Sono on Netflix.
In comedy Jonathan Pienaar was in the series On the Couch for two seasons as Dr JT.
Other TV series in which he had roles ranged from One Way and Ring of Lies to Roots, kykNET's Song vir Katryn that got another rebroadcast this year, SABC2's Swartwater, TTe Adventures of Sinbad, The Principal, The Queen, Pandjieswinkelstories, The Triangle, Vagrant Queen, Blits-Bulletin, Those Who Can't, To the Ends of the Earth, Crusoe, Unmarried, Vloeksteen, Warrior , The Devil's Mistress, Deutschland 86, Troy: Fall of a City and Wild at Heart.
Jonathan Pienaar had starring roles in various films, ranging from 1987's American Ninja 2:The Confrontation and Scavengers, to It's Murphy's Fault, Dune Surfer, The Tattoo Chase, Impact, Young Survivors, Crazy Safari, Sentinel, The Gospel according to Matthew, Kalahari Harry, Mandela and De Klerk, 2006's Blood Diamond, Fast & Frantic, Black Venus, The Lost Future, 2011's Ek Lief Jou, Inside Story, Soldier of Destiny, Shotgun Garfunkel, Bustin' Chops: The Movie, Aalwyntyd, 2016's Lord Jones is Dead, The Whale Caller, Snaaks Genoeg, Broken Darkness, The Killing Floor, and the made-for-TV movies Empire of the Sharks , 6-headed Shark Attack and Monster Island.
Jonathan Pienaar also appeared in the films Fried Barry, The Last Days of American Crime, The Fragile King, Street Trash and 2025's Morbid: A Necromurder Story.
