‘Chweneyagae possessed a rare quality that defines great actors’

Banner displayed at the entrance of the State Theatre in Pretoria on June 5, 2025 during actor Presley Chweneyagae’s memorial service.

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The Director of South Africa’s Oscar Award-winning movie Tsotsi, Gavin Hood, has shared fond memories he had with late actor Presley Chweneyagae.

He spoke at Chweneyagae’s memorial service at the State Theatre in Pretoria yesterday afternoon.

‘Cobrizi’, as he was commonly known, died last week at his Pretoria home and will be laid to rest on Saturday.

Hood recalls how he was introduced to Chweneyagae.

He says, “When the late Moonyeenn Lee, our Casting Director on Tsotsi first suggested that I audition Presley, I confess I had never heard of him, but Moonyeenn had seen him in this theatre and couldn’t take her eyes off him.”

“I want to reiterate something, that the Oscar that I was privileged to collect on behalf of Tsotsi was not awarded to me as the director, it was awarded to everyone involved who gave themselves to that story and no one more involved than Presley.”

Hood adds, “He possessed that very rare quality that defines really great actors and what is that quality? It is an ego-free instinct for raw emotional honesty, ego-free and honesty. Presley intuitively knew how to move through a scene. ”