You’ve already heard his voice purring over the stereo.
In a couple of weeks you’ll have the finely structured body of Pierre de Charmoy stalking across the screen for the first time.
South Africa’s Prince Charming will be making his acting debut in Tawwe Tienies, a light-hearted Afrikaans production scheduled to open in Durban on April 6.
The week I was invited to watch the filming was certainly not time wasted! Experiencing a few days of 23-year-old Pierre’s speeded-up rate of living was amazing – let me try to share one day with you.
Imagine the atmosphere: Pierre’s electrically charged, going for it – “I really love my job,” he says.
The day starts, as usual, with a sunrise, but vive la difference – while most people are catching up on beauty sleep, Pierre’s ready to play his role of an English sports instruct in an Afrikaans village.
We arrive on location, and he mingles with the cast.
“Muck”
That is, with everyone bar the unfortunate make-up lady with whom he plays a cat and mouse game until she eventually corners him for one scene where it is vital that he has “that muck” on his face.
At sunset the director calls it a day and Pierre rushes home for his soak in the bath (the only opportunity he has to ‘mellow out’).
Then the designer jeans are zipped up, a Pierre Cardin shirt tucked in, and with a shake of the wet hair, he steps into his black BMW.
With a Lionel Richie tape playing, we’re on our way to his next engagement.
Pierre is broody for a while, until he reflects: “I’m always like this – nervous before a performance.”
“But don’t you feel ‘high’ once you’re up there?” I venture.
“No, never high, but it is great to watch people enjoy the music. I’d say that apart from the nervousness, it’s definitely the best aspect of my job.”
We arrive at the nightspot. The fans have collected in anticipation.
“Looks like we’re gonna rave tonight girls!” growls Pierre as he goes up the staircase, and the heart rate of all those present doubles.
Then he sings, and partying begins – ladies forget themselves, some going to daring lengths to capture his attention.
It reminds me of the rumour that his clothes were ripped off at one nightclub by eager girls.
He grins boyishly and a blush blossoms on that part of his face visible through the black mane.
“For the first time in my life a girl asked me for a dance. Before I knew it, her friends had surrounded me, and from there things just got out of hand!”
Changes
Although his life has changed drastically from doing gigs in “quiet” ladies’ bars to winning the 1983 best male vocalist Sarie Award, Pierre’s personality remains unaltered.
Proof of his popularity appears daily in the mail that pours in from fans who vary in age from teenyboppers to teenyboppers’ mothers.
Remarkably, with his success, Pierre remains a farm-boy at heart, still preferring “girls with country orientation” and not indulging in the drugs, smoking or heavy drinking that often go hand in hand with a musician’s life.
After watching him for a week, I hope this guy keeps on “reaching out”.
THE MERCURY, 1984
