Award-winning actor Jamie Bartlett has died, corporate communications manager for eMedia Bennum van Jaarsveld confirmed on Monday night. He was 55 years old.

“We’ve had confirmation from a close family member that Jamie has passed,” he said. “We will have more information in the morning.”

Details of Bartlett’s death were not known at the time of publishing this article.

Popularly known as “The Don” for his role as David Genaro on the soapie Rhythm City, the actor was lauded for his ability to evoke a sense of fear in viewers with his husky voice and deathly stare. He left the show after more than a decade in the role, making his last appearance in February 2020.

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Bartlett was a judge on SA’s Got Talent, starred in several theatre and TV productions and hosted actor workshops.

In 2013, he starred in the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom alongside Idris Elba.

More recently, he played the role of Piet in the eVOD original production Piet’s Sake. eVOD is eMedia’s streaming platform.

The star was among SA’s most-loved actors, winning three prestigious SA Film and Television Awards in a career spanning more than three decades.

He was married to, and divorced from, former Generations actress Camilla Waldman. The couple had a son together.

On Twitter, fans paid tribute to Bartlett.