Movie and TV Actor Dies in His Sleep: Jonathan Pienaar Was 63

Jonathan Pienaar has died.

News24 reports that the South African actor known for Blood Diamond passed away in his sleep on Nov. 10 at his home in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, his ex-wife, Rosana Maya, shared. He was 63.

Maya attributed his death to “heart failure,” revealing Pienaar had previously suffered a heart attack. Additionally, his health was “deteriorating.” In reference to his final moments, Maya said, “I had a nurse here looking after him, and she said that she went in to see him and he said, ‘Where am I?’ and fell asleep again. When the nurse went to give him his medication, he passed on.”

“There’s so much one could say about Johnny. It’s still a bit raw,” Maya said when talking about her memories of Pienaar. “He really was one of the most unique people that I’ve ever encountered on this planet. We spent some glorious years together creating and doing the most unbelievable projects. He had such a beautiful mind and [was] so creative. The world is a lesser place without him, and he was just a beautiful soul, and he gave so much for so little.”

Pienaar was born on Sept. 15, 1962, and studied drama at Technikon Pretoria. He made his acting debut in the 1985film Wild Maneuvers. Additional credits include American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, Scavengers, It’s Murphy’s Fault, Impact, The Principal, Legend of the Hidden City, Husk, and Catch a Fire.

In 2006, he appeared in the action-adventure epic Blood Diamond as SA Cameraman. He’s also known for Troy: Fall of a City and Warrior, as well as Cape Town, The Devil’s Mistress, Deutschland 86, and Street Trash. Pienaar most recently appeared in the horror film Morbid: a Necromurder Story, which was released in May. According to his IMDb, he had four projects in the works. As of now, it’s unknown what the plans will be for those projects.

“I am so devastated to hear of the passing of Jonathan Pienaar,” actor and director Ryan Kruger wrote on social media. “Great friend, amazing actor, another one of our best SA character actors gone, and cannot be replaced. I was so lucky to have acted beside you and directed you in two great characters, FRIED BARRY/STREET TRASH, and learnt from you.”