Wynand Uys


Hi folks,

The actor who played Dirkie was called Wynand Uys, not Dirkie Uys, as he was credited in the film (I dunno - maybe Dirkie was a nickname).

And over on the wordridden website http://wordridden.com/article.php/20030619135551.xml/all the guy himself recently made a contribution!

He said:

Fred Jansen reported that Wynand Uys, the child actor who played Dirkie died in a car crash in 1976. I'm pleased to report that its not true, for I am Wynand and I'm alive and kicking (never been in a car crash). The anonymous contributor about 8 messages up did track me down and he/she got my web address right.

When the movie was released in, I think, 1969, there simply weren't many movies on the circuit and cinema was really the only way to see a movie. BETA and VHS still hadn't been invented. Hence, people saw fewer movies, perhaps a dozen year, and each movie's impact was not dilluted as much as it today. Also, movies at the time didn't really explore our real fears and horrors and were mostly musicals and comedies. The horror movies at the time were cheap thrills. The generation of youngsters that saw Dirkie back then were brought up in an era of relative peace and comfort, with only the distant "cold war" and a rather surreal nuclear threat to occupy our fear faculties.

Take a really traumatic movie like "Saving Private Ryan" back in time to 1969 and it would probably have been met with revulsion and subsequent banning.

Yet, I am surprised that so many folks still remember Dirkie. My apologies for any anguish caused. I had a great time acting in the movie as a 9 and 10 year old: No school for a year, seeing the vast landscapes of Namibia and learning about desert wildlife and people.

I've had no interest in being an actor since.

He now runs an outdoor activity centre called Otters Den. Maybe he'll stop by the IMDb one of these days!


Mr Cotton's Parrot; same question!

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Dirkie Uys was a boy Afrikaaner hero in the Voortrekker wars against the Zulus c. mid-19th century. There are several high schools, social groups and whatnot named for him in South Africa. Thus, in that part of the world, 'Dirkie' is a natural nickname for any boy surnamed 'Uys'. Learn more here:

http://rapidttp.com/milhist/vol045iu.html

As for Wynand Uys, he is a zoologist and outdoors enthusiast like his dad (though not interested in film - I think he only joined the forum metioned above because everyone was talking about how he was dead! Naturaly , he would want to clear that up). He has been a leader in promoting whitewater rafting throughout Southern Africa and his Otters Den is well worth a visit. See:

http://www.ottersden.co.za/whitewater.htm

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[deleted]

For those interested in what he looks like now, here is his flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/71957597@N00/

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