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- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Joe Flynn, A.K.A. Johnny Flynn, is an English poet, musician, and actor. He is the son of Eric Flynn, who was an actor who specialized in musicals. As a child, Johnny sang in the Winchester College chapel choir. He knew that he wanted to be a musician after listening to the Bob Dylan record, "Freewheelin,'" when he was eleven years old. Johnny is now the front-man of the English folk band, "Johnny Flynn And The Sussex Witt." His band has released three albums, "A Larum" (2008), "Been Listening" (2010) and "Country Mile" (2013).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Sharlto Copley was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Linda Stocks and Bruce Copley, a former university professor. His childhood dreams of acting were put on hold for many years when his television production company was one of few in his native South Africa granted licensing to create content for broadcast. Rather than acting in front of the camera, Copley found himself the businessman running the production behind the scenes, becoming South Africa's youngest television producer at age 25. It was during this time that he met a then-teen-aged Neill Blomkamp, who worked at Copley's company in exchange for use of the computers to pursue his talent for design. Blomkamp would many years later go on to direct Copley in his star-making debut as nervous bureaucrat Wikus van de Merwe in the Oscar nominated science fiction hit District 9 (2009). Copley followed this by fulfilling another childhood dream, landing the role of H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock in the big screen adaption of the 1980's TV hit The A-Team (2010) and was also directed by Blomkamp once again in the movie Elysium (2013). He now continues to split his time between his native South Africa and Hollywood, pursuing more opportunities in front of and behind the camera.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Sasha Pieterse was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She immigrated over to the United States with her professional dancer parents in 2000. She started acting at the age of four in modeling and commercials and moved to theatrical work starring as "Buffy" in her first TV show, Family Affair (2002) alongside Tim Curry and Gary Cole at the age of six. She went on to star in movies such as The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005), X-Men: First Class (2011) and Good Luck Chuck (2007) and also starred in shows such as House (2004) and Heroes (2006) before landing the role as Alison Dilaurentis in the TV show Pretty Little Liars (2010). While filming her TV show she also starred in movies such as G.B.F. (2013) and as "Japonica Fenway" in Paul Thomas Anderson's G.B.F. (2013) alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Martin Short. The TV series Pretty Little Liars (2010) finished after 7 seasons and since then she continues pursuing her passion for movies and television.- Director
- Writer
- Visual Effects
Neill Blomkamp is a South African-Canadian film director and screenwriter who is known for the science fiction films District 9, Elysium and Chappie. He also directed the supernatural horror film Demonic and the 2007 short film Halo: Landfall, based on the Microsoft science fiction video game franchise. He had a child from his wife Terri Tatchell.- Actor
- Composer
- Director
Troye Sivan Mellet is South African-born YouTuber, actor, model and singer known for his roles in The Spud Franchise, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Boy Erased (2018). He moved to Perth, Australia when he was two years old. Troye has two brothers and a sister, and was raised Modern Orthodox. In 2018, his family moved to Melbourne. Troye lives in LA where he has a house. He has over 6.6 million subscribers on YouTube as of October 2018, with videos ranging from song covers to challenge videos to original songs and music videos. One of his earlier videos, a collaboration filmed with fellow YouTube star Tyler Oakley titled 'The Boyfriend Tag' even won a Kid's Choice award in 2014.
Over the past couple of years, Troye has released two EPs, the one in 2014 being TRXYE and the one in 2015 being WILD. His unique blend of electro-pop and smooth melodies have taken him as high as number fifteen on Billboard's Social 50 list, which chronicles the most influential names in music today. Along with WILD and the lead single Talk Me Down off of his new album Blue Neighbourhood which came out on 4 December 2015, he released a trilogy of music videos titled Blue Neighbourhood.
Both of his EPs have debuted at number five on the Billboard Top 200, his album debuting at number seven and he has won several awards for his work, including most recently an EMA.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Justine Waddell was born on 4 November 1975 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an actress and producer, known for Target (2011), The Fall (2006) and Chaos (2005).- Meganne Young was born on 22 March 1990 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an actress, known for The Kissing Booth (2018), Black Sails (2014) and Eye in the Sky (2015).
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Basil Rathbone was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1892, but three years later his family was forced to flee the country because his father was accused by the Boers of being a British spy at a time when Dutch-British conflicts were leading to the Boer War. The Rathbones escaped to England, where Basil and his two younger siblings, Beatrice and John, were raised. Their mother, Anna Barbara (George), was a violinist, who was born in Grahamstown, South Africa, of British parents, and their father, Edgar Philip Rathbone, was a mining engineer born in Liverpool. From 1906 to 1910 Rathbone attended Repton School, where he was more interested in sports--especially fencing, at which he excelled--than studies, but where he also discovered his interest in the theater. After graduation he planned to pursue acting as a profession, but his father disapproved and suggested that his son try working in business for a year, hoping he would forget about acting. Rathbone accepted his father's suggestion and worked as a clerk for an insurance company--for exactly one year. Then he contacted his cousin Frank Benson, an actor managing a Shakespearean troupe in Stratford-on-Avon.
Rathbone was hired as an actor on the condition that he work his way through the ranks, which he did quite rapidly. Starting in bit parts in 1911, he was playing juvenile leads within two years. In 1915 his career was interrupted by the First World War. During his military service, as a second lieutenant in the Liverpool Scottish 2nd Battalion, he worked in intelligence and received the Military Cross for bravery. In 1919, released from military service, he returned to Stratford-on-Avon and continued with Shakespeare but after a year moved onto the London stage. The year after that he made his first appearance on Broadway and his film debut in the silent Innocent (1921).
For the remainder of the decade Rathbone alternated between the London and New York stages and occasional appearances in films. In 1929 he co-wrote and starred as the title character in a short-running Broadway play called "Judas". Soon afterwards he abandoned his first love, the theater, for a film career. During the 1920s his roles had evolved from the romantic lead to the suave lady-killer to the sinister villain (usually wielding a sword), and Hollywood put him to good use during the 1930s in numerous costume romps, including Captain Blood (1935), David Copperfield (1935), A Tale of Two Cities (1935), Anna Karenina (1935), The Last Days of Pompeii (1935), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Tower of London (1939), The Mark of Zorro (1940) and others. Rathbone earned two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (1936) and as King Louis XI in If I Were King (1938).
However, it was in 1939 that Rathbone played his best-known and most popular character, Sherlock Holmes, with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, first in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) and then in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), which were followed by 12 more films and numerous radio broadcasts over the next seven years.
Feeling that his identification with the character was killing his film career, Rathbone went back to New York and the stage in 1946. The next year he won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Dr. Sloper in the Broadway play "The Heiress," but afterwards found little rewarding stage work. Nevertheless, during the last two decades of his life, Rathbone was a very busy actor, appearing on numerous television shows, primarily drama, variety and game shows; in occasional films, such as Casanova's Big Night (1954), The Court Jester (1955), Tales of Terror (1962) and The Comedy of Terrors (1963); and in his own one-man show, "An Evening with Basil Rathbone", with which he toured the U.S.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Tammin Sursok was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Tammin is an actor and producer, known for Pretty Little Liars (2010), Rules of Engagement (2007) and Crossing Over (2009). Tammin has been married to Sean McEwen since 24 August 2011. They have two children.- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
David John Matthews is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record label owner. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band (DMB). Matthews was born in Johannesburg, and moved frequently among South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States while growing up. Matthews started playing acoustic guitar at the age of nine.- Actress
- Producer
Cariba Heine is a South African-born Australian actress and dancer born in Johannesburg to parents Michelle, a former showgirl, and Kevin Heine. She moved to Australia at the age of three with her parents and older brother. Her early days included training in jazz, tap, classical ballet, acrobatics and rhythmic gymnastics. She began dancing professionally at the age of 15 though a career-ending hip injury resulted in a shift into acting. Since falling in love with a more literal medium of story-telling, Cariba has continued working both in front and behind cameras and in other creative fields. She still teaches dance and has a strong focus on injury prevention and rehabilitation. In 2018 Cariba wrote, directed and produced her first film 'BEND' which is in post-production.- Actor
- Casting Department
- Casting Director
Steven is a South African actor best known for his role as Mihawk in the Netflix live action adaption of One Piece - the best-selling manga series in history.
Having completed a Bachelor in Live Performance from AFDA, as well as training with several local and international coaches, Steven has appeared in a number of theatre and film productions including, Barefoot in the Park, The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Day We Didn't Meet, and SAFTA award-winning film, From a House on Willow Street.
Making his television debut in the 2010 Amstel Class Act competition, placing 7th in South Africa, Steven has appeared in numerous commercials and is a regular on television screens worldwide, having played characters in local soap operas like Tempi Pushas; and international roles in Strike Back, Syfy's Vagrant Queen, and M-Net's Inconceivable.- Actor
- Cinematographer
Peter is the son of an American mother and English father. He was brought up for the first few years in Botswana before moving to the USA where his father attended Indiana University to train as an opera singer. After his parents divorced in 1981 he lived in Tennessee with his mother but later joined his father in Scotland. He returned to the USA for a period but in 1990 went to live with his father and step mother in London. He attended Mill Hill, a private school in north London and completed his education to sixth form in 1998. Deciding to take a "gap year" in order to follow his desire for an acting career he was successful in breaking into TV commercials and thereafter followed his first steps into the movie business.- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Producer
Shannon Kook was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. His mother is natively South African, and his father is from the Mauritian Islands. He is a classically trained actor from the prestigious National Theatre School of Canada, accepting only 12 acting students a year. Shannon also graduated with the Edna Khubyar Acting Award, a scholarship awarded 'in recognition of exceptional talent and achievement' after a full theatre program.
From there, Kook was cast as a lead in several shows in theatre, immediately performing on the main stage at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton for the world premiere musical of The Forbidden Phoenix as The Monkey King's son. Film and TV proved to be a great fit for Kook, soon doing leads and guest stars he eventually won The ACTRA Award, was selected as a Toronto International Film Festival 'TIFF Rising Star', and received The Reelworld Film Festival Trailblazer Award.
Most recently Shannon can be seen as a Regular on The 100 (The CW), a Supporting in all 3 of The Conjuring (Warner Bros) films, Recurring on Nancy Drew (The CW) and The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+).
Outside of acting Kook spends a lot of his time doing Taekwondo, Jiu-Jitsu & Kickboxing, all styles of dance from Salsa & Bachata to Hip Hop & Ballet, and behind camera shooting and retouching portrait photography. He speaks Afrikaans, some French and is working on his Mandarin, guitar, and piano.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Gavin Hood was born on 12 May 1963 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor and director, known for Official Secrets (2019), Tsotsi (2005) and Eye in the Sky (2015). He was previously married to Janine Eser.- Actress
- Producer
Jessica Marais was born on the 29th January 1985 in South Africa and moved to Perth Australia at a young age. Recently she moved to Sydney where she has a TV role as Rachel Rafter in the Australian comedy series Packed to the Rafters. She has also recently appeared in the new Australian film Two Fists One Heart, filmed in Perth in 2007.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Dean Geyer was born in Johannesburg South Africa and immigrated to Australia when he was 15 years old, commencing his schooling in Australia at Melbourne High School.
Geyer's family has a strong connection to martial arts. His grandfather Stan Schmidt was credited with formally introducing karate into South Africa. His father Keith Geyer, and many other members of the family are very highly regarded as being some of the most influential names in the sport both in South Africa and Australia. Following in family tradition and much of his life dedicating himself to the art, Dean attained his fourth degree black-belt.
Geyer's interest in music started during his early teens. He spent many years gigging around the city of Melbourne, and his seasoned ability was showcased during his Australian Idol audition in 2006. Dean progressed through the rounds and quickly became one of Australia's favorite competitors. He ended the competition securing 3rd place. Dean signed a record deal immediately following his departure from the show with Sony BMG. His debut album hit number 7 on the aria charts.
He was also a part-time model joining the agency 'Scene Models' in his hometown on Melbourne.
Geyer's career took a turn in 2008 where he was offered the role of Ty Harper on the long running Australian TV show Neighbors. His 8 month run on the show came to an end when Dean decided to take his passion for acting overseas. His first year in Los Angeles began with a film debut in Sony picture's Never Back Down 2, directed by Michael Jai White, where Geyer got to showcase his martial arts ability on screen as MMA fighter Mike Stokes.
Some credits throughout his years in the US include guest starring roles on VH1's 'Single Ladies', Hulu's 'Casual', NBC's 'Shades of Blue' opposite Jennifer Lopez, and a major recur on Steven Spielberg's 'Terra Nova' on Fox.
Fox's long running hit series 'Glee', picked up Dean as a major recur to play the role of Brody Weston opposite Lea Michele.
Dean moved on to shoot multiple films after his time on the show, including roles opposite Bruce Greenwood on 'Rehearsal' which he also co-produced. Most recently Geyer has two upcoming projects, scheduled to released in 2021. "Christmas in the Pines" being one which was shot during the coronavirus pandemic opposite his wife Jillian Murray.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The star of the Carry On series of films, Sid James originally came to prominence as sidekick to the ground breaking British comedy actor Tony Hancock, on both radio and then television. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa and named Solomon Joel Cohen, James arrived in England in 1946, second wife in tow, having served with the South African Army during World War 2. By now an aspiring actor, James claimed to have boxed in his youth, perhaps to explain his craggy features, but was certainly a well respected hairdresser in his native country. Known in the trade as "one take James", he became a very talented and professional actor, constantly in demand for small parts in British post-war cinema. In 1960 James debuted in the fourth of the Carry On films, taking the lead role in Carry on Constable (1960) and went on to appear in a further 18 Carry On films as well as various stage and television spin-offs. Reputed not to have got on with Carry On co-star Kenneth Williams, the two often played adversaries on-screen, notably in the historical parodies Carry on Up the Khyber (1968) and Carry on Don't Lose Your Head (1967). James however was respected and revered by almost everyone he worked with and contrary to popular myth, a true gentleman. An addiction to gambling played a large part in James' workaholic schedule and subsequent heart attack in 1967. He was soon back in action however, playing a hospital patient in Carry on Doctor (1967), able to spend most of the film in bed. He suffered a second and fatal heart attack on stage in Sunderland, England on April 26 1976, leaving behind 3 children and his third wife Valerie who had stuck by him despite his affair with Carry On co-star Barbara Windsor, saying, "He always came home to me".- Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 5, 1934, actor Zakes Mokae was initially a jazz saxophonist. Moving to England in 1961, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and became one of the most distinguished thespians in South Africa for over two decades.
Mokae was one of the few actors capable of crossing the divided racial sections, punctuated by his collaborations with white writer Athol Fugard. Together they founded the radical theater group The Rehearsal Room in the 50s that specifically dealt with his country's injustices. In fact, over the years his performances in "The Blood Knot," "Boesman and Lena," "A Lesson from Aloes" and "Master Harold...and the Boys," have been universally applauded.
He fled the racist apartheid policies in South Africa in 1969 and migrated to America, subsequently winning a Tony award in 1982 for "Master Harold..." and proceeded to perform in American films to somewhat lesser acclaim, including A Dry White Season (1989), A Rage in Harlem (1991) and Waterworld (1995). TV appearances included strong appearances on such programs as "Law & Order," "Dream On," "Oz," "X-Files," "The West Wing" and "Monk."
In later years, Mokae moved to Las Vegas and served as artistic director for the Nevada Shakespeare Company. 75-year-old Mokae died there from complications of a stroke on September 11, 2009. - Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, television host, actor, and political commentator. He is the host of The Daily Show, an American satirical news program on Comedy Central.
Born in Johannesburg, Noah began his career in South Africa in 2002. He had several hosting roles with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and was the runner-up in the fourth season of South Africa's iteration of Strictly Come Dancing in 2008. From 2010 to 2011, he hosted the late-night talk show Tonight with Trevor Noah, which he created and aired on M-Net and DStv.
In 2014, Noah became the Senior International Correspondent for The Daily Show, and in 2015 succeeded long-time host Jon Stewart. His autobiographical comedy book Born a Crime was published in 2016. He hosted the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021 and the 64th Annual Grammy Awards edition in 2022.
Noah has won various awards, including an MTV Africa Music Award and a Primetime Emmy Award from eleven nominations. He was named one of "The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media" by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, Time magazine named him one of the hundred most influential people in the world.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Jonathan Liebesman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on September 15, 1976. He would remain in his home country, studying filmmaking at the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance, until 1996; that year, he traveled to New York City to visit his cousin who was attending New York University. Soon after the visit, Jonathan enrolled at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
For his student first film, Jonathan turned Roald Dahl's short story Genesis and Catastrophe (2000) into a 8-minute, award-winning short that help him land Hollywood representation; accolades included the 2000 Hollywood Film Festival's Young Filmmaker Award and the Austin Film Festival's Student Short Film Award.
Jonathan would make his feature-film debut in 2002 with Darkness Falls (2003), a dark twist on the Tooth Fairy tale that opened at #1 at the box office despite being critically panned. It also served as the big-screen debut for Emma Caulfield Ford, long a fan-favorite as Anya Jenkins on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997).
Rings (2005), his short film that connected The Ring (2002) and its sequel, was first released as a bonus disc with the re-release of The Ring on DVD. The short caught the attention of Michael Bay and his production company, Platinum Dunes, and soon Jonathan was installed as the director of the company's project The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), a prequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), the widely successful remake of the original.
Initially announced as the director of the Friday the 13th reboot, Jonathan's next feature would instead be The Killing Room (2009) with Peter Stormare, Chloë Sevigny, Clea DuVall, Timothy Hutton, Nick Cannon and Shea Whigham. The psychological thriller played the festival circuit before being released on DVD in the United States.
A few months before The Killing Room's Sundance world premiere in January 2009, Jonathan was announced as the director of Battle Los Angeles (2011), an alien-invasion film starring Aaron Eckhart and released by Columbia Pictures. The sci-fi/action film was a worldwide hit and put Jonathan in the running for a handful of big-studio pictures.
Before Battle LA's release, he had handed the job of directing [error] as Warner Bros., though that project remains in development at this time. Instead, Jonathan took the reins for Wrath of the Titans (2012), the sequel to successful but maligned Clash of the Titans (2010).
Currently, Jonathan is in development on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) at Paramount and an Untitled Julius Caesar Project with Warner Bros.- Actor
- Director
- Additional Crew
Ninja was born on 26 September 1974 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor and director, known for Chappie (2015), The Bad Batch (2016) and Blended (2014). He was previously married to ¥olandi Vi$$er.- Although this wonderfully witty, enormously talented, classically trained theatre actor was unable to transition his award-winning theatre stardom to major twilight screen notice, South-African thespian Brian Murray nevertheless did receive late-blooming adulation for several stirring performances.
Born Brian Bell on September 10, 1937, in Johannesburg, the stage actor/director attended King Edward VII School. It must have been a sign as he became a Shakespearean titan in later years. Making his stage bow in 1950 as "Taplow" in "The Browning Version," he continued on the South African stage in such roles as "Bus Stop' and "The Diary of Anne Frank" until 1957. Though he made his film debut fairly early in his career with The League of Gentlemen (1960) and showed strong promise and presence in The Angry Silence (1960) and as a radio announcer, editor and director, his first passion was the theatre and instead chose to join the Royal Shakespeare Company where his impressively youthful gallery of credits included those of "Romeo" in Romeo and Juliet, "Horatio" in Hamlet, "Cassio" in Othello, "Edgar" in King Lear and "Lysander" in A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Developing an international reputation, Broadway (off- and on-) took notice of this mighty thespian and utilized his gifts luxuriously well over the years in such plays as "All in Good Time" (debut), "Noises Off," "Ashes," "Da," "A Small Family Business," "Uncle Vanya," "Sleuth" and "The Rivals," earning three Tony Award nominations for his sterling performances in "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," "The Little Foxes" and "The Crucible." Two of Brian's later stage roles, that of "Sir Toby Belch" in "Twelfth Night" and "Claudius" in "Hamlet", were taken to TV/film. The actor/director also appeared in 70s and 80s radio drama for the National Radio Theater and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2004. Millennium stage roles would include "Me, Myself and I," "A Song at Twilight," "The Importance of Being Earnest" and his last, "Simon Says," in 2016.
Into the millennium, Brian enjoyed a nice change of pace and in the voicing of the flamboyant role of "John Silver" in the animated feature, Treasure Planet (2002). He was subsequently featured in such films as Dream House (2011) and In the Family (2011), and made guest appearances on such TV shows as "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "30 Rock," "The Good Wife" and "Person of Interest." After a notable absence on the screen, he returned to make a final T.V. appearance as "Sir Walter" in A Bread Factory, Part One (2018) and A Bread Factory, Part Two (2018) shortly before his death at age 80 on August 20, 2018, in New York City. - Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Air Force veteran and International athlete Cliff Simon's unique presence set him apart every time. A powerful veteran actor living in Los Angeles since 2000, he realized his dream of becoming a USA citizen. He was a published author of 'Paris Nights my year at the Moulin Rouge'.
At a very young age, Cliff aspired to be the first South African swimmer to win an Olympic Gold medal. His mother, being a swim teacher, had him in the pool before he could walk and instilled all the confidence he ever needed to follow that path. At the age of six, he showed talent as a gymnast. By age 15 Cliff had reached a national level in South Africa in both swimming and gymnastics, but to go further in either one, he needed to devote 100% of his time to just one, and he chose swimming.
At age 15, with turmoil in South Africa, his parents decided to immigrate to the United Kingdom. It was here that Cliff completed his schooling and was chosen to swim in the British International squad. He competed in Olympic trials and qualified for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He was offered scholarships to Houston University and Southern Methodist University in Texas, where he would train with the best United States swim team, the Mustangs. This would have culminated in him competing in the 1984 Olympic Games.
However, after scraping ice off his car windshield at 5am every morning for 3 years before heading off to swimming training and spending 61/2 hours a day in the pool, Cliff felt waterlogged, burnt out and that he was missing out on his social life as a young man. Halfway through a training session, Cliff climbed out of the pool, sat on the edge and told his coach that he was leaving and would be returning to sunny South Africa. Back in South Africa Cliff entered the Air Force where he continued his swimming and achieved the highest athletic award given in the Air Force, the Victor Ludorum. In 1982 after serving his two year term, Cliff took all he owned in one suitcase and headed down to the coast in an old Fiat convertible.
He landed a job teaching windsurfing and water-skiing at a resort hotel. As fate would have it, a stage show was in production at the resort and Cliff was informed by one of the performers that the choreographer was looking for a gymnast. Cliff somehow knew that this was going to be the first step towards a career on stage. To cut a long story short, Cliff performed all over the world in various stage productions as a dancer/acrobat, culminating in his dream role as a principle performer at the world famous and iconic Moulin Rouge Theater, Paris in 1989.
On his return to South Africa, Cliff pursued his stage career. Whilst studying drama, Cliff secured himself a modeling agent and enjoyed much success in ramp, print and television commercials. Cliff received major recognition as a model in South Africa and was asked to enter The Mr. South Africa talent and action man competition. On winning this competition in 1992, Cliff was offered an audition on a hugely successful television series, called Egoli - Place of Gold. After guest starring on the show for 3 months, he was offered a permanent contract as a regular cast member in a lead role and would go on to become a household name for his 6 year run. After being personally affected and sick and tired of the violent crime in Johannesburg, he decided it was now or never and he immigrated to the USA with his wife, with the hope of having a better quality of life. This also gave him the opportunity to realize a long time dream of further pursuing his acting career in America.
Cliff soon landed a guest star role with Don Johnson on the hit TV series, 'Nash Bridges'. A short time after that, he acquired the guest star recurring role of Ba'AL on 'Stargate SG1'. Cliff's combination of charming bad guy charisma and wicked sense of humor made him a viewer favorite antagonist, keeping his character recurring for 5 seasons.
In 2007, Cliff was brought back to play Ba'AL in the Stargate SG1 movie, 'Continuum', which was released in 2008. Cliff was nominated for Best Guest Star at Best of TV Awards Canada 2014 for his role in 'Castle'. Cliff has many upcoming projects and has guest starred in many network TV series and films. His short film 'The Long Dig' is due for release in Aug 2018. He also appeared in 'Almythea 2 Rise of the Astra' and 'Land of the Free'. His 'Project Eden Vol 1' (Best Vision Award at the Boston Film Festival) had a U.S. theatrical release in January 2018.
Into the Unknown (2020) was Cliff's new show which premiered on Travel Channel in 2020, and had already aired first season on History Channel in Europe under the name 'Uncharted Mysteries'. A paranormal, investigative adventure show which suited Cliff perfectly. He is the host and executive producer.
When Cliff was not working he raced dolphins on his kite board off the beaches of Malibu, or surfed a wave and led a quiet life.
Cliff died while kite boarding on March 9, 2021 in Topanga, California.- Actress
- Casting Department
- Director
Jennifer Nash was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. After attending Interlochen Arts Academy, the National Theater of Great Britian's Drama Program and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Ms Nash went on to do Broadway, regional theater, television and film. She has lived in Austin, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles and the UK. Jennifer's younger brother Marcus Nash has also appeared on Star Trek, The Next Generation. Ms. Nash is currently acting, writing and working on her upcoming globally inspired cookbook.- Actress
- Director
- Soundtrack
This alert and classy actress seemed poised for Hollywood stardom in the early 1970s. Although it wasn't meant to be, Janet Suzman has remained one of the more respected classical stage players of her time. Born in 1939, she was raised in a staunchly liberal household in South Africa at a time when the country was moving toward the formal racial discrimination of apartheid. Suzman studied languages at the multi-racial Witwatersrand University in the late 1950s and was an active member of the drama society. She left South Africa during the height of her country's oppression, and moved to England in 1959.
Making her professional stage debut with "Billy Liar" in 1962, she almost immediately joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and received rave notices for her Joan of Arc in "The War of the Roses." She made her official London debut in a production of "A Comedy of Errors" in 1963. In the ensuing years Janet built up an impressive classical resumé portraying most of Shakespeare's illustrious heroines including Rosalind, Portia, Ophelia, Beatrice and the shrewish Kate. She also appeared in several BBC-TV versions of the classics.
In 1969 she married director Trevor Nunn and together they collaborated on some of England's finest stage productions during the early 1970s, notably "Antony and Cleopatra" (1972), "Titus Andronicus" (1972) and "Hello and Goodbye" (1973), which won Suzman the Evening Standard award. She won a second for her role of Masha in the 1976 production of Chekhov's "The Three Sisters." They had a son, Joshua, before they divorced in the 1980s. Later work included notable roles in "She Stoops to Conquer," "The Good Woman of Setzuan" and her "Hedda Gabler."
In the early 1970s she branched out into films. Following an auspicious turn in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1972), she won the coveted role of Czarina Alexandra in the florid historical piece Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) co-starring Michael Jayston, in which she enjoyed a sterling British cast in support - including Harry Andrews, Jack Hawkins, Ian Holm, John McEnery, Laurence Olivier and Michael Redgrave. Suzman received an Oscar nomination for her performance, and bigger things seemed inevitable. She went on to grace a number of films, including Voyage of the Damned (1976), Nijinsky (1980) and Priest of Love (1981).
In a reprise of her real life family's activism, Suzman co-starred in the anti-apartheid film A Dry White Season (1989) portraying the wife of the Donald Sutherland character. The cast included other progressive activists such as Susan Sarandon and Marlon Brando (who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor). In a change-of-pace role, she played a Mother Superior in the hysterical farce Nuns on the Run (1990).
In the 1980s Suzman was inspired to direct and coach. She was a visiting professor of drama at Westfield College, London, and later returned to South Africa to provide multi-ethnic castings in versions of Shakespearean plays. Making her directing bow in a production of "Othello" at the Market Theatre in 1987, some of her more notable assignments included "Death of a Salesman" (1992) and a reworked politicized version of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" set in South Africa, titled "The Free State" (1997). In 2002 she returned to the RSC to perform in "The Hollow Crown," and most recently appeared in a London production of "Whose Life Is It Anyway?" (2005) starring Kim Cattrall.
Into the millennium, other than a couple of films such as Max (2002) and Felix (2013), Suzman appeared primarily on the smaller screen in such TV series as Tinga Tinga Tales (2010) (as the voice of the Ostrich) and Sinbad (2012), and a role in the mini-series Labyrinth (2012).- Actor
- Director
- Producer
From his birthplace in South Africa, Louis Charles Hayward was brought to England and was educated there and on the Continent. He spent a short time managing a London nightclub, displayed some acting talent and decided on acting, and was quickly tapped by playwright Noël Coward, who became his patron. Matinee-idol-handsome, Hayward developed his acting skills on the London stage in various versions of Broadway plays, such as "Dracula" and "Another Language". He began his film career in the British romance drama Self Made Lady (1932), which was followed by five British films through 1933.
Hayward came to New York and Broadway in 1935 to star in "Point Verlaine". It was his only Broadway venture, but it brought him a Hollywood contract. His first American film role was in The Flame Within (1935). After several supporting roles in 1936, he got his real break starring in the extended romantic prologue of Warner Bros.' Anthony Adverse (1936). As dashing officer Denis Moore, he was Anthony's father, rescuing his soon-to-be mother Maria from an arranged marriage to the Marquis Don Luis, brilliantly played by Claude Rains. Shot with gauze focus in part to increase the dreamlike romantic interlude of the lovers, the prologue played to a bitter end with Hayward dispatched in a sword duel with the outraged Don Luis, and Maria, now pregnant, forced to return to her husband. However, Hayward had had his defining moment. He was now a romantic leading man, and a swashbuckler at that. Through the remainder of the 1930s he would have ample opportunities to vary that class of character, starting with some early "B"-tier efforts. His good looks were complemented by an airy manner of speaking, which worked as both hero and rogue or occasional suave villain. The familiar British Simon Templar character was brought to the screen by Hayward in The Saint in New York (1938) to cap his "B"-picture career. He was destined for plenty of sword point adventure. The stylish The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), the third volume in the Alexandre Dumas musketeer trilogy, gave Hayward the opportunity to play the good and evil royal twins, which he did with impressive flair. However, his swashbuckling efforts did not pan out as well as they did for Errol Flynn. The Son of Monte Cristo (1940), with Hayward paired with Joan Bennett again (as they were in "Iron Mask") was a The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) rip-off that fell flat. Another sort of bad break was his 1941 casting in a pivotal role in Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), his part was edited out of the final print.
World War II brought Hayward a respite from the vagaries of Hollywood luck. He was a United States Marine combat photographer, and his work during the invasion of the Japanese-held island of Tarawa earned him a Bronze Star for courage under fire. Overcoming the psychological stress of his war experiences, Hayward returned to the Hollywood spotlight. He had already notched a few mysteries on his belt when he was cast in the Agatha Christie thriller And Then There Were None (1945), which was a hit. His subsequent list of romantic parts included yet another "Monte Cristo" adventure: the Robin Hood-like Robert Louis Stevenson adventure The Black Arrow (1948) and a succession of pirate parts. He played in two "Captain Blood" sequels, neither of which turned out well for him. There was also yet another "twin" sequel, this time a twist of the Jekyll/Hide story but with the doctor's twin sons, called The Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951). There was also one more outing in an "Iron Mask" vehicle, this time with twin royal sisters and Hayward as a mature D'Artagnan. Amid all this blandness - and seeing double - Hayward had the good sense to develop a business sense in case his career kept on its downward spiral. He was one of the first to incorporate the one percentage-of-profits deal for both the theatrical and television releases of his post-1949 films, ensuring him comfortable lifelong income.
Although he continued to make movies, Hayward ventured enthusiastically into television, not only with some ten American playhouse theater productions and episodic television through the 1960s but productions of his own. In 1954, Hayward produced and starred in the 39-week television series The Lone Wolf (1954) (aka "Streets of Danger") after buying exclusive rights to several of Louis Joseph Vance's original "Lone Wolf" stories. He also produced the British series The Pursuers (1961) and the American The Survivors (1969). He bowed out of acting in the mid 1970s, not the screen legend that he had hoped to be, but wiser and certainly comfortable. On February 21, 1985, Louis Hayward died at age 75 of lung cancer in his home in Palm Springs, California.- Actor
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- Producer
Josh Blacker was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor and writer, known for Elysium (2013), Focus (2014) and The Wall (2015).- Doreen June Mantle was born 22 June 1926 in Johannesburg, South Africa and was a character actress who is probably best known for her recurring role as Mrs Warboys in the long-running British sitcom One Foot in the Grave (1990) appearing in 18 episodes in the 1990s.
Mantle first travelled to Britain with her parents when she was just six weeks old. Around four years later they returned to South Africa. She then returned to the UK permanently in her late twenties.
She appeared in many British television series from the 1960s to the present, such as The Duchess of Duke Street, The Wild House, Chalk (1997), Casualty (1986), The Bill (1984), Doctors (2000), Holby City (1999), Love Soup (2005) and Jonathan Creek (1997). She played lollipop lady Queenie in Clatterford (2006).
Mantle has worked extensively on the stage in such productions as My Fair Lady, Keep It in the Family, The Seagull and Hamlet. She also toured Britain in Billy Liar in the role of Florence Boothroyd and performed at the National Theatre in The Voysey Inheritance. In 1979 she was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in Death of a Salesman. She also did a great deal of radio work for BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.
In 2011 Mantle appeared in Coronation Street (1960) as the mother of Colin Fishwick whose identity was taken by John Stape. - Actor
- Writer
- Director
Daniel Bonjour was born on 28 September 1981 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor and writer, known for The Walking Dead (2010), Black Cake (2023) and Point Break (2015). He has been married to Jelly Howie since 19 July 2014. They have one child.- Candice Hillebrand was born on 19 January 1977 in Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Tekken (2010), Othello: A South African Tale (2002) and How to Make Love to a Woman (2010).
- Neil Bishop was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor, known for Beautiful Disaster (2023), Breaking Infinity (2023) and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).
- Actress
- Camera and Electrical Department
Haley Louise Jones was born on 23 February 1989 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Ivie wie Ivie (2021), Bones and Names (2023) and Paradise (2023).- Marius Weyers was born on 3 February 1945 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor, known for The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980), Blood Diamond (2006) and Gandhi (1982).
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Dave Wittenberg was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Dave is an actor and writer, known for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005), Digimon: Digital Monsters (1999) and Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001).- Dena Kaplan was born in South Africa and moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 1996. Dena is an actress and dancer who may be best known for her role as Abigail Armstrong in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television series 'Dance Academy' (2010-2012). Kaplan attended high school in Melbourne and had dance training at numerous schools; Australian Ballet School, Jane Moore Academy of Ballet and City Dance Centre. Her first stage appearance came alongside David Campbell in the Production Company's Carousel, where she played Louise, a non-singing solo ballet part in the second act of the show. Her second major public appearance was as a dancer/singer in the Disney production of the musical of "Lion King." Dena moved to New York to study at the Ailey School and Broadway Dance Center, and was cast in a Broadway musical, but was unable to accept the offer. Dena Kaplan's first television role was in 2005 on the Network Ten spy series "Scooter: Secret Agent" as one of the party girls. In 2007, she appeared as Deborah Statesman in an episode of Australian police drama "City Homicide." In 2009, she played Keli in an episode of "Flight of the Conchords" and starred in the film "In Her Skin" alongside Guy Pearce and Rebecca Gibney. Besides her role in the series "Dance Academy" in 2010, Dena was cast as Stephanie Wolfe in "City Homicide."
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Jack Klaff was born on 6 August 1951 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor and writer, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), For Your Eyes Only (1981) and King David (1985).- Trevyn McDowell was born on 26 April 1967 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Frankenstein (1994), Middlemarch (1994) and An Ideal Husband (1999). She has been married to Julian ? since 1996. They have four children.
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Dean Israelite was born on 20 September 1984 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a director and producer, known for Acholiland (2009), Power Rangers (2017) and Project Almanac (2015).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
John Daly was born on 20 February 1914 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was an actor and producer, known for The Front Page (1949), The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956) and Pistols 'n' Petticoats (1966). He was married to Virginia Warren and Margaret Criswell Neal. He died on 24 February 1991 in Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA.- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
Dan Mindel was born on 27 May 1958 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a cinematographer and actor, known for Spy Game (2001), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). He has been married to Lisa Fallon since 6 June 1992. They have four children. He was previously married to Paula Hamilton.- Actress
- Director
- Editor
Tinarie van Wyk Loots was born on 17 December 1980 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an actress and director, known for Hole in the Wall (2017), Jimmy in Pienk (2013) and 4 Mure (2021).- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Roxane Hayward was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Having finished her final year of school at the age of 16, Roxane was given a head start in life. She studied Drama, Dancing and Musical Theatre for four years through Trinity College London and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance London (ISTD).
Roxane started her acting and dancing training at the young age of 6. She featured in 'Jozi H' 2006 (CBC) as well as 'Isidingo' 2007 (SABC) while still in school. At the age of 16, Roxane moved to Cape Town. It was then that she also started modeling and has since featured as the face of many worldwide advertising campaigns. In the beginning of 2011, Roxane made her first appearance on British television where she played the featured lead, 'Louisa', in Episode 3 of the hit BBC comedy, 'Beaver Falls'. At the end of 2011, Roxane finished working on her first feature film 'Death Race: Inferno' - a Universal Pictures production. She played the supporting role, 'Prudence', alongside Dougray Scott. When filming commenced, Roxane ventured into the music industry and started recording her debut album. This was interrupted when she was cast as a lead role, 'Angelica', in the second season of the BBC series 'Leonardo' (CBBC).
In 2015, she was cast as the role of the historical figure, 'Susanna White', in the National Geographic two-part movie event titled 'Saints and Strangers' (SONY). In the same year, the first international feature film to be filmed in South Africa where all lead roles are played by South African actors, 'Accident' started production - Roxane played the lead role, 'Caroline'.
Roxane has always been a strong advocate for health and fitness. Since starting her Muaythai training in 2016 with two-time world champion Quentin Chong, she also became a spokeswoman for self-defense and continues to host seminars in South Africa that focus on human rights, empowerment, safety and teaching individuals how to defend themselves.
This interest led to her directorial debut for the public service announcement (PSA) titled 'Open Your Eyes' for HeardPSA - an international platform hosted by the Global Sustainability Network (GSN), calling on filmmakers from around the world to create awareness on human trafficking and modern day slavery. Roxane wrote, directed and produced the PSA which was voted second worldwide by the international panel of judges who include the legendary Quincy Jones, Wesley Snipes and Joseph Fiennes.
In June 2017, 'Blood Drive' (Universal Cable), the grindhouse style television series in which Roxane plays the role of 'Mimi Kox', aired on Syfy. Due to her dance background and dedication to the martial art of Muaythai, Roxane performs her own fight sequences and stunts in all of her on-screen appearances to date.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Author, speaker, and award-winning Writer/Director/Cinematographer Mark Vicente was part of the creative team behind the sleeper hit "What The Bleep Do We Know?!" Several books have been written about the film's remarkable grassroots marketing campaign, which led to its unprecedented success.
Mark was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1965. Taking his first photograph at age four, he quickly discovered his passion for being behind the camera. After sneaking into TV studios at age 16 and jumping behind cameras (pretending to be a seasoned Camera Operator). He eventually enrolled in Film and Drama school where he specialized in Directing, Cinematography and Theater Lighting Design. After Film School he began working his way up the ranks of the camera department, starting as a Camera Assistant, then an Operator and Steadicam® Operator. He then segued into shooting Music Videos and Commercials as he developed his skills as a Cinematographer.
His first big break came as Director of Photography on the musical "SARAFINA," starring Whoopi Goldberg. In 1992, he set his sights on Hollywood and relocated to Los Angeles to shoot his first studio picture for Disney entitled "FATHERHOOD," starring Patrick Swayze and Halle Berry. At the age of 26, he became one of the youngest cinematographers to shoot a big budget studio picture. Over the next 12 years, he went on to shoot an additional 14 feature films and numerous Documentaries and Commercials.
Mark soon found there were in him, untold stories he desperately wanted to express as a Director. He was driven by the conviction that tales of greatness, nobility and introspection could be exciting and financially successful.
Because of the atrocities in his native South Africa, he found himself propelled to question certain fundamental assumptions at a very young age. Beliefs about human behavior, morality, cosmology, existentialism and mysticism. Unifying his love of science, philosophy and film-making, Mark's dream of creating cinema to inspire and provoke thought began to emerge with the creation of "What the BLEEP do we Know?!"
Deeply moved by the unprecedented violence, taking place in Mexico, Mark completed 'Encender el Corazon', a film about the rampant kidnapping epidemic in Mexico and a small communities efforts to stand up to the Cartels. After suspecting the film was being used to support an alleged criminal enterprise, Mark pulled the film from distribution and endeavored to expose the alleged criminal behavior of the enterprise. He has since developed a keen and passionate interest in understanding the coercive and duplicitous environments of high-control groups.
Mark is always searching to find new and revolutionary ways to raise awareness through film. Under the banner of Luminosity Films, he is currently developing "Bending Time", a Sci-Fi Series packaged with a VR and biofeedback video game. The sci-fi drama; "Terra Antiquis" and the period ghost story; 'The Settlers'. Mark is always on the lookout to collaborate with others who share his love of story-telling, the examination of what it means to be human and the desire to bring to light the iniquities in the world.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Trevor Rabin was born in South Africa in 1954. He began playing guitar at the age of 12 after having had piano lessons since he was a toddler. In 1972 he formed the band Rabbit becoming the most successful rock act ever to emerge from South Africa. Rabin left Rabbit to pursue a solo career in London and released three solo albums.
Rabin moved to Los Angeles in 1982. Here he became a member of the newly reformed progressive art/rock group Yes for the groundbreaking 90125 album as a guitarist, keyboardist, singer, songwriter, producer and recording engineer. He penned the majority of the songs on 90125 as well as Big Generator and Talk, before leaving Yes in 1994 to pursue a career as a film composer.
Rabin has scored three dozen films which include Con Air, Homegrown, Armageddon, Enemy of the State, Jack Frost, Deep Blue Sea, Gone in 60 Seconds, Remember the Titans, The 6th Day, The Banger Sisters, Kangaroo Jack, Bad Boys 2, The Great Raid, Exorcist: The Beginning, National Treasure, Coach Carter, Snakes On A Plane, The Guardian, and Flyboys.
Along with many Grammy nominations and one win, Mr. Rabin also has received nine BMI film score awards, and has received a lifetime achievement award from the Temecula Film Festival.- Actress
- Producer
- Executive
Ciara Charteris was born on 3 August 1995 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an actress and producer, known for Mary Shelley (2017) and Poldark (2015).- Ian Duncan's career began in South Africa where he became a household name on both the stage and screen. Wanting to perfect his craft, Ian Duncan moved to England, where he trained at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre school - home to many great alumni including Sir Daniel Day-Lewis, Olivia Colman, Sir Patrick Stewart, Naomie Harris and Jeremy Irons. Ian's career has taken him all over the world where he has been privileged to work with many of the top names in the industry. Ian resides in Los Angeles with his family.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sheila Steafel was born on 26 May 1935 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was an actress, known for The 10th Kingdom (2000), Parting Shots (1998) and The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968). She was married to Harry H. Corbett. She died on 23 August 2019 in London, England, UK.- Carl Beukes was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is known for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), Eye in the Sky (2015) and Dominion (2014).
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Colin Moss was born in Johannesburg, South Africa to parents Veronica Salt and Richard Moss. He is of English (his paternal grandfather was a Cockney), Irish (maternal & paternal), Germanic and South African heritage. Colin started his career on the South African stand-up and improv comedy circuit and continues to perform comedy between acting gigs. He studied acting at the University of Kwazulu-Natal and later went on to become a household name with appearances on a host of popular South African television series and films.
His international film roles have included playing Officer DeWitt in the period drama, The World Unseen, which won several awards on the international festival circuit. He followed this with a lead role in Surviving Evil - playing alongside an international cast including Billy Zane, the role of Max in a BBC adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's Women in Love, opposite Rosamund Pike and the role of Kevin Fuller in Momentum, starring opposite Olga Kurylenko, James Purefoy and Morgan Freeman. His theatre roles include that Tom in Neil LaBute's Fat Pig and Paul in David Hare's My Zinc Bed.
Colin relocated to New York City in 2015, looking for fresh challenges and new opportunities and was quickly signed by The Talent House. The first job he booked in New York was a recurring role (Justin Boden) on Marvel's hit Netflix series, Jessica Jones, playing opposite David Tennant and Krysten Ritter. He has since booked the role of Anthony in the latest season of Netflix's Black Mirror, working with Bryce Dallas Howard and Alice Eve, David Simon's The Deuce for HBO, working opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal, a supporting role in Peter Hutchings film, Then Came You, with Masie Williams, Asa Butterfield and Sonya Walger and the role of Drew Conrad in Christmas in the Wild, starring Rob Lowe and Kristin Davis. 2019 saw Colin book the role of Hath in SyFy Channel's Vagrant Queen, his first series regular role for an American channel.