Actor and producer James Alexander dead at 45.

by Thinus Ferreira

The versatile South African actor and producer James Alexander, also known as James Gracie, has died at age 45 after losing his battle on Friday with head and neck cancer.

James Alexander was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in January 2019 but the couple decided to keep his cancer fight private. The couple who left South Africa in 2016 returned to the country last year after living in Los Angeles and working in Hollywood for five years.

His wife, Anel Alexander, revealed the death of her husband on Facebook on Saturday morning.

"To say my heart is broken would not do justice to the 22 years we spent together. This year I've crossed a rubicon: I've spent more of my life with you, than without."

"I can not imagine having to do life without you by my side. You were my first love, my best friend, my work-buddy, travel-buddy, there's-something-in-your-teeth-buddy. The first person to break my heart and then mend it again. The only person to witness me, all of me: the good, the bad, the pyjamas…."

"You were magic, a unicorn, and everybody knew it. You loved people and they loved you. And oh, how you made us laugh! You haven't just fought a good fight, my baby, you fought the best fight."

"I have never witnessed anybody endure the amount of physical pain and losses and disappointments you have had to over the last 5 years and do it with such grace and integrity, whilst all the time fiercely believing and surrendering to God's plan. You finished the race well, the suffering is over. Now Rest In Peace, my Jamie. Cancer might have won the battle for your body, but your soul was never beaten. I will always love you xxx".

James Alexander was best known for his role as Dr Rico Maartens in the M-Net and kykNET (DStv 144) Afrikaans soap Binnelanders and also snagged the role of Tristan in M-Net's The Wild prime time soap.

He's worked in South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States over the past 15 years.

He was the co-presenter of the M-Net reality competition show Project Fame in 2004 and appeared in SABC1's Generations, SABC2's Home Affairs and in the short films Thoughts, Lost and Voëltjie.

He appeared in the third season of the American series Black Sails, Donkerland, Geraamtes in die Kas, Heartlines, Madiba, Roots, The Book of Negroes, and as Lemmer in M-Net's Trackers.

HBO's Cinemax has joined the Cape Town filmed co-production of Deon Meyer's Trackers drama series done by M-Net and Germany's ZDF.

HBO's Cinemax TV channel has also joined South Africa's M-Net and Germany's ZDF in their co-production of the Cape Town filmed drama series based on Deon Meyer's crime-and-spy book Trackers.

M-Net announced Trackers in February 2018, based on Deon Meyer's 7th book.

While M-Net will show Trackers in South Africa and across sub-Saharan African on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, ZDF will show it in Germany while Cinemax gets the remaining worldwide rights for the United States and areas beyond Africa and Germany.

The 6-episode Trackers, produced by Three River Studios in the United Kingdom and Studio 23, will start on M-Net (DStv 101) in October 2019 and will also be available on MultiChoice's subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, Showmax.

Trackers as an action-thriller revolves around an international terrorist plot in Cape Town, South Africa and an extended conspiracy involving organized crime, smuggled diamonds, state security, Black Rhinos, and the CIA.

The British writer Robert Thorogood is the showrunner with Deon Meyer as supervising screenwriter and co-producer. Jyri Kähönen is the director of all Trackers episodes with Ivan Strasburg as director of photography.

The team of South African writers on Trackers includes the screenwriter and director Amy Jephta as well as writer-directors Kelsey Egen and Jozua Malherbe.

The Trackers cast includes Ed Stoppard, Rolanda Marais, James Alexander, Thapelo Mokoena and James Gracie, among others.

James Alexander plays the character of Lemmer, a man seeking revenge while rebuilding his life in a small town after his career was destroyed during an operation for the Presidential Bureau of Intelligence (PBI).

Rolanda Marais is the "unlikely heroine" Milla Strachan, an abused Cape Town housewife who becomes a data analyst for the PBI and finds herself at the centre of the conspiracy.

Ed Stoppard is Lukas Becker, an alleged CIA operative.

"The trailblazing and massively exciting co-production of Trackers illustrates M–Net's vision and commitment to shine the spotlight on the African film and television industry and provide fresh, proudly African narratives to our viewers as well as global audiences," says Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO of general entertainment.

"It is also taking our longstanding relationship with Cinemax to the next level, allowing local and international talent to combine their world-class story-telling and production skills."

"Trackers is an unprecedented scripted television venture and MultiChoice and M-Net are proud to chart out new territory with all the game-changing players involved in this co-production."

Len Amato, president of HBO films, miniseries and Cinemax, says "Cinemax is delighted to partner with M-Net and ZDF in bringing Deon Meyer's unforgettable characters and storytelling - all so richly rooted in the people and spectacular geography of South Africa - to screens around the world".

Besides Cape Town, M-Net says filming for Trackers has already started in "exotic locations" across South Africa and that M-Net, ZDF and Cinemax have been working together on all aspects of production – from developing and casting, to assembling the crew and approving the final content.

EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK! Connie Ferguson in M-Net's new soap The Wild with Ian Roberts, Tumisho Masha and James Alexander.

You're seeing it here first.

I have the very first exclusive look at Connie Ferguson in M-Net's new soap The Wild that will start on M-Net on 4 April at 18:00.

I already broke the news RIGHT HERE in December that Tumisho Masha is a part of the cast of The Wild, but I can now also reveal and show you that actors Ian Roberts and James Alexander are part of The Wild as well. This new M-Net weekday soap is set on a game farm. These are images I made of the actors' very first scenes in The Wild which will be breaking ground in South Africa as the first weekday soap that's filmed in location.

If you click on READ MORE below I'll give you one more image of Connie Ferguson on The Wild set.