The local entertainment industry has lost a talented actor and producer, James Alexander, popularly known as James Gracie, who died on Friday, 28 April 2023.
James Alexander dies: What’s the cause of death?
As reported by News24, Alexander died on Friday after a brief battle with throat cancer.
The 45-year-old was first diagnosed with the disease in January 2019 and despite the challenges, Anel revealed “it was his wish to keep his fight private until he was ready to share it.”
“To say my heart is broken would not do justice to the 22 years we spent together. This year I’ve crossed a rubicon: I’ve spent more of my life with you than without. I can not imagine having to do life without you by my side,” Anel wrote on a Facebook post.
Anel described her husband as a magical unicorn who made everyone laugh and loved people and added that his soul was never beaten even though cancer won the battle for his body.
“You finished the race well, the suffering is over. Now Rest In Peace, my Jamie. Cancer might have won the battle for your body, but your soul was never beaten. I will always love you,” she wrote.
James Alexander biography
James Alexander, affectionately renowned by fans as ‘James Gracie, was the son of Elsie Gracie and Jim Alexander, born on 8 January 1978.
South Africans first fell in love with the talent when he played ‘Dr Rico Maartens’ in M-Net’s Binnelanders between 2005 and 2007.
Alexander then appeared as a cast member on the channel’s competing soapie The Wild between 2011 and 2013, where he played ‘Tristan van Reenen’, a loyal employee of ‘Tiro’ (played by Putla Sehlapelo).
Between 2013 and 2019, Alexander made appearances on:
- Donkerland (2013);
- Geraamtes in die Kas (2013);
- Roer Jou Voete (2015);
- Black Sails (2016);
- Generations;
- Home Affairs;
- Trackers (2019).
Alexander and his wife left South Africa in 2016 to work in Hollywood and returned to the country last year. The actor was renowned for his talents on and off the screen, and for 15 years, he commanded a career that earned him credits in films released in South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Reactions to Alexander’s death
Alexander’s fans and colleagues in the entertainment industry have taken to social media to pay their respects and express their condolences to his family.
Many have described him as a talented actor who brought life to every character he played and an incredible human being who always had a smile on his face.
Here are a few reactions we picked out: