The sudden passing of the veteran actor Darlington Michaels has sent shockwaves all over the internet.
The actor is a man well familiar to millions of South Africans for his portrayal of Georgie ‘Papa G’ Zamdela, in the local soapie Isidingo.
Following his passing this past weekend, one of his former colleagues, Jack Devnarain, best known as ‘Rajesh Kumar’ has reflected on some of their best and happiest memories while working together.
In an interview with the news and entertainment publication The Citizen, Jack described the late actor as a man for the people.
“He had the rare ability to connect with everybody working on set, including actors and the technical crew,” Jack recalled.
He further described him as being a professional who understood just how much discipline the art of acting required – and while his acting abilities were at the highest calibre, it was his personality that invited people into his world.
Jack recalls that the last time the two last spoke was over the phone during the Covid pandemic where he had already been showing signs of health complications.
“I knew his health had deteriorated, particularly during covid because he didn’t have a lot of support around him aside from close family and friends. But he didn’t have medical aid; it was exceptionally difficult for him to get around and to continue working.”
Meanwhile, he regrets not making enough time to speak thereafter.
Bona recently reported that Darlington was admitted to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto after experiencing difficulty breathing. In 2020 he also suffered a stroke and decided to take a break from acting and focus on his health.
This has led to calls for better treatment of veteran actors in South Africa, something Jack Devnarain agrees with.
Also see: Isidingo veteran actor Papa G admitted in hospital
