Wena Naudé

Agnes Alwena (Wena) Naudé (31 December 1905 – 6 September 1978) was an Afrikaans actress. She was one of the pioneers of Afrikaans theatre.

Early life and career Naudé went to school in Volksrust and Lydenburg, after which she worked in a bicycle shop in Pretoria. In her free time, she took speech lessons from Stephanie Faure and took the final exam in 1924. She then received further acting training from Paul de Groot, whose theatre company she joined. In July 1925 they undertook a theatrical tour with 'Huistoe' (Heimat van Sudermann) and in January 1926 with 'Oorskotjie' (Nicodemi).

She was, among others, a member of the companies of Hendrik Hanekom and André Huguenet who travelled from town to town with their plays. In 1954 she received the Medal of Honor for Theatre from the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns.

Naudé was married to Willem van Zyl. They had a daughter, Nilo. In 1940 they divorced and in 1943 she married Johan Pretorius Pienaar, a brother of Sangiro. In 1947 she also divorced Johan. She has 3 grandchildren, namely Alwena van der Westhuizen, Riana Jeffery and Wilna van Gass. Her daughter, Nilo Mostert, occasionally performed one-man plays at small functions until her death (11 March 2016). Wena also has 5 great-grandchildren, namely Sonja, (deceased), Carl and Riani van der Westhuizen as well as Lindie and Stephnie van Gass.

Filmography Since 1947, she has acted in more than thirty South African films. Some of them are: Film Year Director Sarie Marais 1947 Joseph Albrecht Hans-die-Skipper 1953 Bladon Peake Inspan 1953 Bladon Peake Paul Krüger 1956 Werner Grünbauer Basie 1961 Gordon Vorster As Ons Twee Eers Getroud Is 1962 Die Tweede Slaapkamer 1962 Gordon Vorster Die Skelm van die Limpopo 1962 Gerrie Snyman Kavaliers 1966 Hoor My Lied 1967 Elmo de Witt Oupa for Sale 1968 Richard Daneel Dr. Kalie 1968 Ivan Hall Salomien 1972 Daan Retief Cry Me a Teardrop 1974 Keith van der Wat Tant Ralie se Losieshuis 1974 Dirk de VilliersDie troudag van tant Ralie1975Dirk de Villiers Boland! 1974 Bertrand Retief Die Sersant en die Tiger Moth 1974 Koos Roets Boland 1974 Bertrand Retief Jakkalsdraai se Mense 1975 Soekie 1975 Daan Retief Dingetjie Is Dynamite 1975 Troudag van Tant Ralie 1975 Ivan Hall Ma Skryf Matriek 1975 Franz Marx Daar Kom Tant Alie 1976