The esteemed casting agency Artist Connection, speaking on behalf of Sello Motloung’s family, released a statement confirming the actor’s passing.
“We are devastated to inform you of the sudden passing of Ntate Sello Motloung on Sunday, 15 September,” reads the statement.
“His family is in shock, and we ask that you give them space at this time. Sello will forever be remembered as one of our legends, and we will miss him tremendously.”
The statement did not reveal the cause of Motloung’s death.
The SABC said in a statement: “The SABC is profoundly saddened by the passing of Ntate Sello Motloung.
“His significant role in shaping the entertainment landscape will never be forgotten.
“The SABC extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans,” read the public broadcaster media statement.
Passion for the arts
Being a multilingual actor who spoke Isizulu, Sesotho, English, Setswana, and Sepedi, Motloung, 54, was best known for the range of roles he had landed.
He was raised in Meadowlands, Soweto, and developed a passion for the arts in high school.
During a previous interview with Sunday World regarding his artistic journey, Motloung stated that one of his divinely endowed talents was the fine arts.
“A family friend identified some of the stuff I was doing, and he spotted my skill and told my mom about an art school across the Market Theatre,” he said at the time.
“He took me there, and I started part-time art lessons, but because my family didn’t have money, after two years I had to drop out.”
Love for painting transformed into words
He found the arts-focused insert in a well-known newspaper his older brother used to buy to be fascinating.
“I used to read the insert, and that’s where I came across the names of a lot of artists, and I started following dramatic arts.
“I also liked what I saw on television, even though then it was very limited because we only had a few channels.”
The late Zakes Mokae, who appeared on two episodes of the TV show Knight Rider, was one of many South African and foreign actors who the actor claimed served as inspiration.
Since Mokae’s family was from Meadowlands, too, it was inspirational to him.
He said: “Somehow my love for painting transformed into words and actions. Theatre was the bread and butter for a whole lot of actors.
“The first play I saw was The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, done by students at the fine arts school I had dropped out of.”
