Susan Coetzer was a nominee for the Esther Roos Award for best actress in a supporting role in Afrikaans in 1991.
Susan Coetzer (born 25 August) is a South African actor, writer, artist, and journalist. She is best known for playing the title role in the TV mini-series Daisy de Melker.
The actress has motivated many through her writings and talks. She has written articles for the magazines – Lig Tydskrif (May 2019 edition), Rooi Rose and Sarie (2018).
| Susan Coetzer | |
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| Short Profile | |
| Full Name: | Susan Coetzer |
| Born: | 25 August |
| Place of Birth: | Cape Town |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Education: | Drama |
| Occupation: | Actress, painter, writer, journalist |
| Spouse: | Frank Opperman (m. 1988; div. 1992), Philip Moolman (m. 1999; div. 2012) |
| Children: | Frankie |
| Relative: | Frankie Opperman (grandson) |
| Awards: | Three Vita Awards and one Artes Award |
Early Life
Susan Coetzer was born on 25 August in Cape Town, a port city on the southwest coast of South Africa. She grew up in the Swartland, Cape West Coast, Mossel Bay, and Port Elizabeth. Her parents divorced when she was six years old. She moved in with her mother in Cape Town.
Career
After studying, she did a course on drama course. Susan has appeared in many theatre and television productions as an actress. She has received Vita en Artes awards.
Susan has played roles in Diepe Grond, Panorama, and Merchant of Venice. The latter earned her a nomination for the Esther Roos Award for best actress in a supporting role in Afrikaans in 1991. She also appeared in the stage adaptation of Marita van der Vyver’s Griet Writes a Fairy Tale.
Apart from theatre, she has made many television appearances. She played the lead role in Meester and Daisy de Melker. She appeared in films like City of Blood in 1987, Kin in 2000, and Hole in the Wall in 2017.
Coetzer worked as a journalist at Rooi Rose for three years. She was also a freelance journalist for magazines such as Rooi Rose, Finesse, and Maksiman.
After taking art lessons, she became a painter and held her first exhibition in Johannesburg in November 2004. She held another exhibition at Alice Art with Frans Claerhout in 2005.
After noticing success, she opened her art gallery – the Moody Art Gallery – in 2005. She continued acting and appeared in television soap operas such as 7de Laan and Noah’s Ark.
In 2018, she landed the role of Louis’ mother, Mercia, in the kykNET soap opera, Binnelanders. She appeared as Hanna in the biblical stage production Hanna at the ATKV ‘s community theater in Bloemfontein in 2019.
Susan has appeared in many local and international inspirational talks at women’s functions since 2007.
Personal Life
Susan Coetzer got married to actor Frank Opperman in 1988. They had a restaurant Die Blou Hond, based in Linden, Johannesburg. They had a son Frankie on 5 June 1989.
After separating from Frank in 1992, she did not want her child to suffer from the nature of her work. She married another actor Philip Moolman, but they ended their union in 2012.
Coetzer has remained single since 2012 and had a grandson, Frankie Opperman, in 2018. She lives in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Awards
Susan Coetzer is a three-time winner of the Vita awards as an actress for the roles – Diepe Grond and Die Storm. She won the Artes Award for her role in the TV drama Meester.
Griet Writes a Fairy Tale earned her a Vita nomination. She was also a nominee for her work Merchant of Venice. Winner of FINESSE feel-good magazine Inspirasievrou: voted by the public (2013).
Writings
- Sunflowers and Daisies, 2005
- More Sunflowers and Daisies, 2006
- Oros for the Soul, 2007
- Lisa’s Diary, 2008
- Custard for the Soul, 2009
- All-Bran for the Soul, 2010
- Tjoklits for the Soul, 2012
- A bag full of blues songs, 2015
- Effervescent Tablets for Life, 2018
- Selma and Louise, 2018
Filmography
- Binnelanders as Mercia
- Die Vierde Kabinet as Willa Swart
- Hartklop as Estelle Breytenbach
- Koöperasiestories as Pattie
- Noah’s Ark as Ilse Crawford
- Triptiek as Brenda Steenkamp