Arnold Vosloo talks about his role in Griekwastad

Many an Albertonian will remember him as the young man from Hoërskool Alberton who made name for himself on the bigscreen.

The RECORD recently had the chance to speak to American-South African actor Arnold Vosloo, who plays the role of Col Dick de Waal in the film Griekwastad.

The film, which was released on May 5, is based on the 2012 murders of Deon and Christel Steenkamp and their daughter Marthella.

In 2014, their son Deon, who was 15 at the time, was found guilty of the murders.  The 57-year-old Vosloo returned to South Africa in 2019 to shoot Griekwastad.

He is known for his roles as Imhotep in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, Col Coetzee in Blood Diamond, Pik van Cleef in Hard Target, Dr Peyton Westlake/Darkman in Darkman II and Darkman III, Zartan in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe Retaliation, and terrorist Habib Marwan during the fourth season of 24.
But locally no one will forget him as Boetie van Tonder in Boetie Gaan Border Toe.

Vosloo and his parents are well-known to the Alberton community as he grew up in Alberton North and matriculated from Hoërskool Alberton.

He still visits his mother and sister in Alberton once a year.

The RECORD chats to Arnold about Hollywood, movies and his hometown

Q: How did you get the role of Col Dick de Waal?

A: Tim Theron, one of the producers of Griekwastad, read an article in Sarie about me wherein I expressed my interest in working in South Africa again in Afrikaans. He contacted my sister Nadia and after I read the script, I said yes because it was such a powerful script and story.

Q: Were you aware of the Griekwastad murders and did it influence your decision to agree to this role?

A: I was not aware of the murders and I based my decision solely on the script. When you have a good script, you have a good movie.

Q: How did you prepare for the role?

A: I did not want to meet Dick de Waal before shooting and I only read some of his diaries and notebooks about the case to give me insights to the man.

Q: What sort of person is going to love your character?

A: I believe any South African who wants to be part of the solutions of the country is going to relate to Dick.

Q: What do you love about this character?

A: I love his work ethic and his blood hound sensibility that leads him on no matter what.

Q: What did you enjoy the most while shooting this film?

A: I enjoyed shooting in the Western Cape; the people of Hopefield welcomed us with open arms. Also, working in Afrikaans was a real treat.

Q: What can people expect from this film?

A: People can expect a riveting film about a farm murder they thought they knew the details of, but do they really?

Q: Do you have any final words for the South African audiences who will be watching the film?

A: I would love SA audiences to see our film because we poured our hearts and souls into it. I believe it will stand the test of time and come to be seen as a great South African film.

Q: What is your advice for aspiring actors.

A: South Africa has much to offer actors and my advice is to work there until you feel you must explore the world stage, but be prepared and know that it is not easy. Everyone in Los Angeles wants to be an actor.

Q: What would you do if you couldn’t act?

A: I do not know what I would be doing if acting did not work out. It is something I wanted to do from very early on and I never doubted it for one minute.

Q: What is in the future for Arnold Vosloo as a professional?

A: I would like to work on one or two more South African productions and then quit when I hit 60 in a few years’ time.

Q: In short, tell us about your experience in Hollywood.

A: I was lucky to start working soon after I got to Hollywood, but I missed my family and friends in Alberton very much, so the success I achieved was bittersweet. You give up a lot when you leave to pursue your dream. Hollywood is a strange place and you need the grit to survive.

Q: What is your favourite memory of Alberton?

A: I love Alberton and I often think about going to the horse races with my dad at the old Newmarket track as one of my favourite memories, as well as just sitting on the stoep of my sister’s house drinking tea and watching the world go by.

Q: What important lesson did you learn from school?

A: That it is okay to be creative, to express yourself and to find your passion and live it.

Q: Are you planning on a possible trip to Alberton and your high school in the future?

A: I visit Alberton once a year to spend time with my family, so look out for me there this November/December and maybe I can plan a high school visit to say howzit. That’s all, of course, dependent on what happens with travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic the world finds itself in.

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