Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa has paid tribute to world-renowned South African casting director Moonyeenn Lee who died on Saturday of Covid-19-related complications at the age of 76.
The critically acclaimed talent coach worked on various award-winning movies, including "Tsotsi", "Blood Diamond" and "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom", and had been nominated for two Emmy Awards.
“Over the years she would travel around the world, introducing producers and directors to South African actors. She consistently did everything in her power to convince them to cast local actors over foreign actors and her dedication paid off,” Mthethwa said in a statement on Monday.
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— Masechaba Ndlovu 🇿🇦 (@MasechabaNdlovu)
Throughout her career spanning almost five decades, Lee represented a number of A-list South African actors, such as Fana Mokoena from "Hotel Rwanda", Tony Kgoroge from "Blood Diamond" and Mduduzi Mabaso from "Rhythm City".
She also received the Lionel Ngakane Lifetime Achievement Award from the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) in 2017 in recognition of her status as an icon and champion of actors, directors and producers alike.
“She was brutally honest, a bit too honest for some, and she had a fighting spirit that was fuelled by her commitment to the industry she served,” said Mthethwa.
“We are devastated to learn of the passing of a member of the Living Legends Legacy Programme (LLLP), a colossal industry veteran and casting director, Lee, who left us on 18 July, on Nelson Mandela’s birthday,” he added.