Jonathan Pienaar obit

SA actor Jonathan Pienaar, 63, has died

 He was not on the list.

Popular Generations and Yizo Yizo actor Jonathan Pienaar has passed away at the age of 63. The award-winning star died a few days after his friend Phillip Henn, who was also 63 years old. Pienaar is also famously known for portraying the character of Leon in Binnelanders opposite the late actor Bradley Olivier. TVSA reports that Pienaar passed away on Monday, 10 November 2025. The star is famously known for playing roles in TV shows such as The Lab, Binnelanders, Hopeville, The Queen, Generations, Yizo Yizo, and many more.

Entertainment news channel Actor Spaces confirmed on its X account on Monday, 10 November 2025, that the legendary thespian has died. "For over 30 years, Jonathan Pienaar carried the heartbeat of South African storytelling, a voice of grit, soul, and honesty. He gave everything to the craft, and the craft will forever carry his name. A storyteller, a teacher, a legend whose light continues to guide. Rest in Power, Jonathan Pienaar," wrote the channel. Briefly News will give an update on Pienaar's cause of death, memorial, and funeral services as soon as possible. South Africans pay tribute to Pienaar Ryan Kruger wrote: "I am so devastated to hear of the passing of Jonathan Pienaar. Great friend, amazing actor, another one of our best SA character actors gone, and can not be replaced. I was so lucky to have acted beside you and directed you in two great characters, and to learn from you. I watched you on the big screen just last night, and people were singing your praises. I will forever miss our 2-hour late-night phone calls chatting sh*t. You were a super wise and funny man, always calm and collected. I will miss every phone call, starting with 'Howzit, my beautiful brother?' in his amazing voice. Icon, I will miss you, my friend. ;-( i just wrote a part for you recently. Sending love to his wife and family." Read more:

Pienaar was born in South Africa on 16 September 1962. He attended high school at the Marist Brothers College (now Sacred Heart College) in Observatory, Johannesburg. Pienaar took a drama course at Technikon Pretoria.

He appeared in both South African and international films and television shows including Skin, Black Venus, Fried Barry, and To the Ends of the Earth, Cape Town, Troy: Fall of a City, and Deutschland 86.

Pienaar died on 10 November 2025, at the age of 63.

 

Filmography

Film

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1985    Wild Maneuvres          "Turk"

1987    American Ninja 2: The Confrontation            Taylor 

1987    You Must Be Joking Too!       Camp Boy      

1988    'n Wêreld Sonder Grense        Gus     

1988    Scavengers      Punk   

1988    Dune Surfer     Gar     

1989    The Tattoo Chase        Tony Ferrucci 

1990    Impact Ronnie

1991    Crazy Safari    Pilot    

1993    The Visual Bible: Matthew     Thaddeus        

1994    Kalahari Harry            Williams         

1998    The First Christmas                 Voice role

1999    Husk    Stokkie            Short film

1999    The All New Adventures of Laurel & Hardy in For Love or Mummy           Young Henry Covington           

1999    Pirates of the Plain      Jesse   

2001    Lyklollery        Skroef 

2005    Blue Valentine Him     Short film

2005    Dollar$ + White Pipes Bernard Farber           

2006    A Lotto Madness                     Short film

2006    Catch a Fire     The Mechanic

2006    Blood Diamond           Cameraman    

2008    Skin     Van Niekerk   

2009    The Three Investigators and the Secret of Terror Castle        Sheriff Hanson           

2009    A Life with Less Meaning      Leonard           Short film

2010    Fast and Frantic           Solly Van Der Merwe

2010    In a Time Without Love          Nikolai            Short film

2010    Black Venus    Alexander Dunlop     

2011    Ek Lief Jou     Chris de Wet  

2011    Inside Story     Scout  

2012    Soldier of Destiny       J.J. Dunlop     

2013    Shotgun Garfunkel      Mr. Snyman   

2013    Bustin' Chops: The Movie      Johnny 

2014    A Night to Remember Eugene            Short film

2015    Assignment     Chris Sebastian          

2016    Lord Jones is Dead     Clive   

2016    PG       Dad     Short film

2016    Snaaks Genoeg           Farmer

2016    Resilient          Redwood        

2017    Broken Darkness         Robert

2017    The Killing Floor        Melvin Poon  

2018    Cowboy Dan   "Killer" Miller Short film

2019    Either Way                  Short film

2019    Monster Island            Captain Mato 

2020    Fried Barry      Dad     

2020    The Verdict      Axel    Short film

2020    The Last Days of American Crime     Randy Hickey

2021    The Ring of Beasts      Nero    Short film

Television

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1990    Young Survivors         Petersen           Television film

1993    Sentinel           Jack Croucher Television film

1994–1997      Triptiek            Pietman Bothma         Main role

1995    Danger Coast  Pieterson          Miniseries

1995    The Syndicate Maimer           

1997    Mandela and de Klerk Lieutenant Breevoort  Television film

1997    The Principal   Isak Stander    Miniseries

1997    The Legend of the Hidden City                      Series 2

1997–1998      The Adventures of Sinbad      Tarsus / Xantax           2 episodes

1999    CI5: The New Professionals    Geary  Episode: "Tusk Force"

2001    Onder Draai die Duiwel Rond            Venter  Season 2

2001–2004      Yizo Yizo        De Villiers       Recurring role (seasons 2–3)

2005    To the Ends of the Earth         Smiles  Miniseries

2006–2008      The Lab           Chris Barlow   Recurring role

2006    Heartlines: The Miners           Johnny Meyer Anthology

2006    Forsthaus Falkenau     Julius   Episode: "Entscheidung in der Savanne"

2007    Wild at Heart   Hunter Episode: "The Wedding Reception"

2007    One Way         Ian       Episode: "Violent Delights"

2008    Crusoe Captain Lynch 2 episodes

2008–2012      On the Couch  Dr. J.T. Main role

2008    The Devil's Whore      Gaoler 1 episode

2009    Hopeville         Fred Palmer     Main role

2010    The Lost Future           Gagen  Television film

2012    Vloeksteen      Dick Van Veen Recurring role (season 1)

2014    Task Force       Mike Rabie    

2014    Pawnshop Stories (Afrikaans: Pandjieswinkelstories)            Jellie Labuschagne      

2014    Aalwyntyd      Dad     Television film

2015    Binnelanders   Leon    Recurring role (season 11)

2016    Cape Town      Oliver Nienaber          Miniseries; 4 episodes

2016    Roots   Carrington       Miniseries; Part 1

2017    Empire of the Sharks  Mason Scrim   Television film

2018    Troy: Fall of a City     Priest Litos      Miniseries; 4 episodes

2018    6-Headed Shark Attack           Duke   Television film

2018    Deutschland 86           Gary Banks     5 episodes

2019    Warrior            Lem     Episode: "The Blood and the Sh*t"

2020    The Queen      Arno Theron   Season 4

2020    Queen Sono    Hendrikus Strydom     Episode: "I Am Queen Sono"

2020    Vagrant Queen            Episode: "Sunshine Express Yourself'

2020    Legacy Andy   Episode: "Shock"

2020    Unmarried       Viktor  Recurring role (season 2)

2020–2021      The Watch       Sergeant Swires          2 episodes

Stage

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1994    My Fat Friend            

2016    Kuele   Producer, director        POPArt Theatre, Johannesburg