# Aletta Bezuidenhout

Aletta Bezuidenhout (17 May 1949 – 13 February 2024) was a Kenyan-born South African filmmaker, writer and actress. She is best known for her roles in productions: Weerskant die Nag, Committed, Spoon, Lament for Koos, and Mother Courage.

## Personal life

Aletta Bezuidenhout was born on 17 May 1949 in Nairobi, Colony of Kenya. Her father was an engineer. She worked for the former Transvaal Council of the Performing Arts (Truk). She also trained and graduated with BA Drama at University of Cape Town.
Bezuidenhout was married to musician Colin Shamley, then actor Tertius Meintjes, and later to Anthony Perris. She died on 13 February 2024, at the age of 74.

## Career

Bezuidenhout studied drama at the University of Cape Town and later started her acting career at Kruik. Later, she moved to the old Transvaal and worked at The Company and the Market Theater. Meanwhile, she worked for numerous regional councils for the performing arts, such as 'Truk en Kruik'. Later she started to train other actors.
In 1970, she appeared in The Space and later involved with Dusa Stas Fish and Vi, The Resistible Rise of Arturo UI and Treats. In 1974, she founded the production company, 'The Company'. In the meantime, she contributed to the theatre by acting in plays such as Desire, Mother Courage in 1977, Women of Troy, Lament for Koos and The Minotaur's Sister in 1985.
Apart from acting, she worked as a playwright and made Time of Footsteps, Silent Envelope, Angel in a Dark Room and Little Big World. In the television screen, she worked for the serials The Lady of the Camellias, Thicker than Water and Die Sonkring and Orion. Some of her popular films include: Djadje, Committed, On the Wire, Country of My Skull and Paljas.

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Role | Genre |
| 1976 | Suffer Little Children... | Mrs. Becker | Short film |
| 1979 | Weerskant die Nag | Hannie du Preez | Film |
| 1980 | Die Koningin en die Rebelle | Argia | Film |
| 1980 | Sam et Sally | Mrs. Schoppenhauer | TV series 1 episode |
| 1981 | Westgate | Myrna Kraft | TV series |
| 1982 | Westgate II | Myrna Kraft | TV series |
| 1982 | Die dame met die kamelias | Marguerite Gautier | TV movie |
| 1983 | My Country My Hat | Sarah van Rensburg | Film |
| 1986 | Thicker Than Water | Morag Murray | TV movie |
| 1990 | On the Wire | Aletta Fourie | Film |
| 1991 | Committed | Isandra | Film |
| 1992 | The Good Fascist | Prosecutor | Film |
| 1993 | Die Sonkring II | Daisy | TV series |
| 1993 | Djadje - Last Night I Fell Off a Horse | | Film |
| 1995 | Cycle Simenon | Madame Genève | TV series 1 episode |
| 1997 | Paljas | Katrien MacDonald | Film |
| 2001 | Lied van die Lappop | Corrie Fourie | TV Mini-Series |
| 2001 | Pure Blood | Gertrude | Film |
| 2004 | In My Country | Elsa Malan | Film |
| 2004 | Sword of Xanten | Hallbera | TV series |
| 2005 | Charlie Jade | Cleo | TV series 1 episode |
| 2005 | Known Gods | Anesca Boshoff | TV series |
| 2006 | Orion | Joan van Heerden | TV series |
| 2001 | Spoon | Olivia Spoon | Film |
| 2012 | Jail Caesar | Julia | Film |
| 2021 | Tannie Elsie | Tannie Vossie | Film |
| 2021 | Nêrens, Noord-Kaap | Olivia | TV series 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Aan/Af | | Short |