Riaan Cruywagen
Riaan Cruywagen born on October 5, 1945 is a South African television news reader and voice artist who has been associated with the South African Broadcasting Corporation since its first television broadcasts in 1975.
In June 2003, following an outcry over reports that Cruywagen's contract with the SABC would not be renewed, an agreement between the SABC and UASA (United Association of South Africa) was reached. His contract was renewed, and it was announced that he would continue with his duties for a period of time. The South African band "Zinkplaat" recorded a song titled "Waar is Riaan?" (where is Riaan?), referring to the presenter's absence from the news team during the contract renewal issue.
The name Riaan Cruywagen has become synonymous with Afrikaans television news through his lengthy career. In the mid-2000s, following the contract renewal issue, Cruywagen was once more the focus of popular culture in South Africa for a time, when a number of e-mail and internet jokes originally referring to Chuck Norris and David Hasselhoff were modified by using his name in their place. South African-themed jokes in a similar vein were also circulated, mostly related to his perennially youthful appearance and intellectual prowess.
Cruywagen was also a voice artist for the character "Haas Das" on the popular Afrikaans children's news program- "Haas Das se Nuuskas" in 1976 . He also voiced the character when it was revived in a movie "Haas Das hou konsert"( Hare Tie holds a concert) in 2007. He originally got the job, when he was telling the show's creator-Louise Smit a joke one day. She grabbed him and screamed: "I've got my rabbit!" He also voiced numerous characters in another children's programme-"Liewe Heksie"
He also appeared in an ad-campaign for ATKV/Pendoring, as a waitor in a restaurant with a board on the wall saying:" Moenie die taal afskeep nie! / Don't disrespect the language!"-referring to Afrikaans. Cruywagen has appeared in a number of films, playing himself as a newsreader, including an appearance reading the news in Zulu in Leon Schuster's "Sweet 'n Short".[1] He was also seen in Stander as a nostalgic reminder of his long career as newsreader.
See also
External links
- Who's who of South Africa:Riaan Cruywagen
- An interview with Riaan Cruywagen
- SABC:Cruywagen to stay
- "Don't Shoot", a documentary about Riaan Cruywagen in the Why Democracy? 2007 series
- TVSA Actor Profile
- Snaparazzi Gallery