… Charles de Olim, ‘The Star’ To most South Africans, Bill Flynn was Tjokkie – the quintessential stout, wisecracking South African rugby-mad fan with a booming laugh and a beer boep to match. This part, made famous with his “partner in crime”, Paul Slabolepszy, in the stage production, was later turned into a movie, ‘Heel Against The Head’. Flynn, 58, who had been amusing and entertaining South African audiences for more than 30 years, was found dead by his son Ryan, 23, at his home in Parkview, Johannesburg, on Wednesday morning after suffering a suspected heart attack. At the time of his death, his wife, actress Jana Cilliers, was visiting her mother in Pretoria. She told Talk Radio 702 her son had called her to tell her Flynn had died. On his recently updated website, Flynn told fans: “It’s hard to believe that I’ve been acting for 30 years now. Theatre is still my first love – because nothing can ever surpass that feeling of performing in front of a live audience. “I have had offers to live and work permanently in America and England, and I have worked overseas dozens of times, but somehow I always return home. I am proud of being a South African artist and I don’t think that’s ever going to change. This is my home and I get really homesick when I’m away from it for too long.” Sadly, Flynn’s last stage production, ‘A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum’, was given two weeks’ notice as pre-sales figures indicated the production did “not stand a chance” against the mighty ‘Fiddler On The Roof’, showing at the same Civic Theatre complex. Flynn found out about this decision on the critics’ review night on Sunday. It has now been decided to dedicate the run of ‘Fiddler On The Roof’ to the late actor. Deon Opperman, the producer of ‘A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum’, said on Wednesday night: “It saddens me, because an actor of his stature should not have ended his career the way he did. “It was the first time I worked with Bill Flynn. And the reason I wanted him for this role was because he was an iconic comedic figure. “We sold only 300 tickets in three months. For ‘Fiddler’ we were doing double that a day. A show’s success is made or broken on the pre-sales figures, and that is why we cut it to a two-week run.” TV producer, Bobby Heaney, who directed Flynn in his most acclaimed stage role as Willy Loman in ‘Death Of A Salesman’, said this was the second time a production had been cut short in Flynn’s career. Ironically, after actors bankrolled the ‘Death Of A Salesman’ production themselves at the State Theatre, it went on to a long and extremely successful run, and Flynn won several best-actor awards, including the prestigious Fleur du Cap, for his role. Heaney said Flynn felt extremely depressed at the decision to close ‘A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum’ early, as he believed its lack of popularity reflected on him. “The last thing he said to me was: ‘Please promise me you will come and see the show’. The sad thing is I didn’t get to see it, and nor did the rest of South Africa.” Impresario Pieter Toerien said he had worked with Flynn for over 25 years. “He was one of the finest actors this country has produced. He could turn his hand at anything. “I know he was large, but that was Bill’s stock comedic trait. He was still in the prime of his life. “Bill was one of the nicest people in our profession. I know people are supposed to say nice things when someone dies, but I don’t think anyone could say a bad word about him.” Another actor, Tim Plewman, who worked with him over the years since the 1983 production of ‘Black Coffee’, said Flynn “always had the joy of a teenager”. Actor Tobie Cronje added: “I loved the way he hugged me. He gave the best hugs. I’ll always miss that.” Flynn had a career that spanned more than 30 years in theatre, film and television. He won 13 best-actor awards, including the Dublin Critics and Golden Entertainer Awards. His film-writing also won him a best-screenplay award for ‘Saturday Night’ at the Palace. For 10 years he was lead singer with the band Vinnie & The Viscounts, which became very popular and recorded two CDs, ‘Get Vrot’ and ‘Rock & Roll Party’. He left the band in 1997. Flynn regarded several stage productions as highlights of his career, including ‘People Are Living There’ – his first professional play, in which he played a dim-witted postman called Shorty – and ‘Tsafendas’, where he performed overseas for the first time. The play was based on the character who assassinated Hendrik Verwoerd. Theatre was his first love, and while he was known for comedy roles, he could play more serious roles like in ‘Waiting For Godot’ and ‘Death Of A Salesman’ equally well. More recently, television viewers will remember him as the lead detective in e.tv’s ‘Jozi Streets’. Flynn appeared in more than 40 feature films, including Leon Schuster’s ‘Oh, Shucks, Here Comes UNTAG’.