Michelle Botes, 1962 – 2024

South African actress Michelle Botes, 62, died of cancer on Dec. 21. She won—or was nominated for—numerous awards for her TV work, and costarred in such series as Legacy and Binnelanders, also appearing in the films American Ninja 2, Snake Dancer, No Hero, and Jewel. Botes said in 2020 that the villainess Cherel in the soap Isidingo was her favorite role: “She was such a force, and I found her in me . . . She certainly rattled my cage in good ways and in bad ways, pushed me to where I’ve never been to find places within myself I never knew were there. She’s taught me to be vocal to have my own back. I would’ve given up many times but Cherel never gave up. Often I don’t have the courage to follow my passion as she did.”