M-Net and Franz Marx Films received the sad news that Blaise Koch, Dialogue Coach at Egoli for the past five years, passed away in his sleep this morning, 21 July after months of illness.

Blaise’s impact on Egoli was evident, his larger-than-life character always bringing a laugh and a smile to whomever he met. Apart from his role of dialogue coach at The Place of Gold, he held an impressive CV - he was an accomplished actor and director (with award-winning parts in productions such as ‘Arms & The Man’, ‘Kennedy’s Children’, ‘Lesson in Blood and Roses’), a writer as well as an author (his recent autobiography Blaise Koch: In, Around, Through and Out - an Actor's Life contained his brave revelations of his HIV status and detailed an incredibly full and vibrant career).

Bromley Cawood, one of Egoli’s directors, described his friend as ‘a wide-eyed wonder who loved life and lived it to the fullest!’

Brumilda van Rensburg (Louwna in Egoli) ‘loved Blaise for everything he stood for – his love for life and words. We went through a lot together at Egoli and I will miss him dearly – even on his deathbed, he was a grateful human being who had wit and a sense of humour!’

Shaleen Surtie-Richards (Nenna in Egoli) says ‘I will always remember a happy and beautiful person who always had good things to say and an infectious vibrancy of existing.’

Egoli’s Executive Producer Laurence Lurie adds that ‘Blaise was a valued element of Egoli for many years, his astonishingly positive approach to life was an inspiration to everyone he worked with.’

Blaise will forever be remembered as a passionate, hilarious and warm individual and will be sorely missed. He was 55 years old.