Advanced search

Cyril James Cusack was born in Durban, Natal, South Africa, to Alice Violet (Cole), a Cockney English actress and chorus girl, and James Walter Cusack, an Irish mounted policeman in Natal. He was brought up in Ireland. He was a child star on the Irish stage, appearing first at the age of 7. He toured Ireland with his own theater company. Although he made some very telling film appearances, his small stature kept him from the classic roles.

With his wife, Irish-born actress Maureen Cusack (née Mary Margaret Kiely), he is the father of actress Sinéad Cusack and the grandfather of actor Max Irons.

Tanit Phoenix was born on 24 September 1980 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Gallowwalkers (2012), Death Race 2 (2010) and Lost Boys: The Thirst (2010). She has been married to Sharlto Copley since 15 February 2016. They have one child.

Brian Pettifer was born on 1 January 1953 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. He is an actor, known for If.... (1968), Amadeus (1984) and Rab C. Nesbitt (1988).

Nomzamo Mbatha was born on 13 July 1990 in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. She is an actress and producer, known for Coming 2 America (2021), Shaka iLembe (2023) and Tell Me Sweet Something (2015).

Pearl Thusi was born on 13 May 1988 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She is an actress and producer, known for Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015), Quantico (2015) and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2008).

Khanya Mkhize was born on 30 March 1979 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She is an actress, known for The Incredible Hulk (2008), Boomerang (1992) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). She has been married to Justin C. Shaw since July 2004. They have two children.

Born in sunny Durban, South Africa and raised in New York City, multi-award-winning Actress, Singer, Songwriter, Dancer and Writer Nondumiso Tembe is well on her way to becoming one of Africa's brightest international stars. The proud daughter of two of Africa's most successful Opera singers and trailblazers, artistic expression is deeply embedded in her DNA, though she has forged a unique path of her own, enjoying a diverse, international career in the Performing Arts.

Nondumiso is believed to have been the first South African actress to obtain a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the famed Yale School of Drama. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and Political Science from New York's New School University, as well as certificates in Classical Theatre from the British American Dramatic Academy at Oxford University, England and Musical Theatre from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. The multi-disciplinary artist has studied Classical Ballet for over 20 years and is also a certified Copy Editor and Proofreader.

Some notable career highlights include ferocious women's rights activist, Na'omi Ajimuda, on History Channel and A+E Studios' breakout military drama, "Six"; tragic Creole maid, Mavis, in the massive hit HBO show, "True Blood," and the feisty Miss Mya, on one of Africa's most popular television shows, "Generations."

She lead a sparkling cast in romantic comedy feature film, "Zulu Wedding," played Grace Rwaramba in Lifetime's "Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland" as well as the fierce Fanta in the epic mini-series, "The Book of Negroes." Her film and tv career is littered with a string of gritty guest starring roles on popular tv shows "NCIS," "NCIS: LA" and "Castle" and she enjoyed a fun cameo in Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

Nondumiso's theatre resumé is varied and extensive, having performed at many prestigious theatres, including the McCarter Theatre at Princeton, Yale Repertory Theatre, the Miller Theatre at Columbia, the Boston Court Theatre, Walt Disney Studios, the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the popular Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.

Some noteworthy theatre performances include a bold reimagining as Joyce in the first revival of the groundbreaking South African musical, "King Kong," earning her a Best Lead Actress in a Musical South African Magazine Theatre Award win as well as Fleur du Cap and Naledi Theatre Award nominations. She took home the Best Lead Actress in a Musical Mercury Theatre Award for her tour-de-force performance in the title role in a celebrated revival of Rogers and Hammerstein's beloved musical, "Cinderella," and a Best Actress in a Supporting Role Naledi Theatre Award for her razor-sharp portrayal of Susan in David Mamet's provocative play, "Race."

Recently, Nondumiso took on the role of a lifetime as Cleopatra in Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's "Antony & Cleopatra" and then wowed critics in the title role in the illustrious Steppenwolf Theatre Company new musical, "Lindiwe," featuring Grammy Award-winning World Music group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

An accomplished Singer-Songwriter, the multi-lingual artist's critically-acclaimed debut album, "IZWI LAMI; My Voice," made waves in the Southern African music industry, earning her a MetroFM Music Award win and Best Female Album and Best EthnoSoul Artist South African Traditional Music Award nominations. Some of her proudest live concert performances include singing for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebration, sharing the stage with her parents at a 2010 FIFA World Cup concert the year her country hosted and her powerful tribute performances at the United Nations UNESCO in Paris.

As a writer, Nondumiso's latest project - a delightful animated, fairy tale, musical adventure feature film for which she also composed eight original songs - won Best Feature Script at the 2023 California Women's Film Festival, was a semifinalist at the 2023 Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, an official selection and honorable mention at the 2022 Imagine This Women's Film Festival, was the Teen/Young Adult category winner and overall finalist at the 2021 Creative Screenwriting Animation Competition and a quarterfinalist at the 2021 Diverse Voices Screenwriting Competition.

She can next be seen in Netflix's upcoming romantic comedy, "A Tourist's Guide to Love" and heard on the smash hit scripted supernatural thriller podcast, "Bridgewater."

Nondumiso is based in Los Angeles, where she is creating and developing her own work, passionately engaged in social justice volunteer work and fighting for an Arts industry that is more inclusive and joyfully diverse!

Ashley rode a mean shotgun as presenter on 'Going Nowhere Slowly', the travel show which wreaked incalculable havoc with the notion of easy passage through South Africa. This, along with anchoring a Design show for The Home Channel, and 'LifeStyle Matters' for SABC3, secured a seat as a familiar South African TV presenter. His acting work began earlier, on stage at the Natal Playhouse, with large scale productions such as 'The Three Musketeers' 'Charley's Aunt' and 'Peter Pan'. After resigning as a teacher of English and Drama in 1997, he moved to Johannesburg and to Television (in addition to stage work).

More recent theatre includes: 'Constellations' (as Roland - Pieter Toerien company), 'Pale Natives' (as Ashley - The Market Theatre), 'Soil' (as Nic - Theatre on the Square), 'Hard Love' (as Zvi)and Claudius in The Framework company's 'Hamlet'.

He has a Bachelor of Arts, University of Natal: English, Zulu, Drama Honours degree, University of Natal: Drama; Education Diploma, University of Natal: English, Zulu, Drama; Company member, Natal Playhouse (Durban); Master class with Sir Ian McKellan; Directing workshops with Sir Peter Brook; Workshops (2008) with Theatre Complicite, London.

Hans Strydom was born in 1947 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. He is an actor and assistant director, known for The Gods Must Be Crazy II (1989), 'n Sondag in September (1976) and Vergeet My Nie (1976).

Jack started his acting career in Durban performing on the community theatre circuit while studying Law at the University of Natal. After graduating in 1993, he joined the Police Service and served for nine years. He started work on SABC 3's flagship daily drama Isidingo in 2002 and has since performed in numerous TV and film productions, including the heist action movie 31 Million Reasons for which he received a SAFTA nomination as 'Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film'. His most recent feature film role was on Mayfair, which was an entrant at the London Film Festival in 2018. He has received numerous awards for his performances on TV, including a 2021 Royalty Soap Awards nomination as 'Best Villain' for his role as Sunny Maharaj on eTV's Imbewu. He continues to build on the body of work that has earned him recognition on the African continent and beyond. Jack is an accomplished MC and facilitator who enjoys regular bookings with private, corporate, and civil society clients. Jack is as comfortable at blue-chip business breakfasts as he is at gala awards functions, charity fundraisers or industry conferences within the creative sector. Some of Jack's most memorable career highlights include riding in the inaugural Bikers4Mandela group ride in 2010 raising awareness of Mandela Day. He was also part of the Trek4Mandela group that summited Kilimanjaro on Mandela Day 2015. He is a member of the Anti-Racism Network of South Africa (ARNSA) and serves as a patron of the annual Anti-Racism Week. Jack remains committed to building solidarity within the performance sector by serving as Chairman of the South African Guild of Actors (SAGA).

Josephine is a Producer, Actor and voice over artist. Although born in Durban, South Africa she has lived most of her life in Australia. Her first role, as an angst ridden teenager, cemented her pursuit of acting, and since then she has appeared in many Australian film and TV shows. She began her producing passion with a documentary entitled Hitting Zero now on Amazon Prime, and has gone on produce several short films, web-series and her debut feature film.

Glyn Jones was born on 27 April 1931 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He was an actor and writer, known for Doctor Who (1963), Here Come the Double Deckers! (1970) and Doctor Who: Target Novelisation Audiobooks (2005). He died on 2 April 2014 in Vamos, Crete, Greece.

Nadine Naidoo was born in Chatsworth, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She is an actress and producer, known for Little Girl, Little Boy (2020), Irresponsible (2019) and Melodrama (2019).

Drikus Volschenk is one of South Africa's top actors who has worked on over 70 film, television and theatre productions, both locally and internationally. Drikus has starred in multiple award winning productions, alongside world class talent, including Idris Alba and Naomi Harris in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (20th Century Fox: 2013); Beauty (2011), the Queer Palm Award Winner at Cannes Film Festival, which was also the South African entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards; Durban Poison (2013), which won the Best South African Feature Film at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).

He also starred in Dis ek, Anna (2015), which won six South African Film & Television Awards (SAFTAs), and was cast alongside Laurence Fishburne and Michael Nyqvist in the international series, Madiba (2017) distributed by Black Entertainment Television (BET), USA. He also featured in the American blockbuster, Batman vs Superman - Dawn of Justice (Warner Bros: 2016) and in addition, Drikus played alongside Sophie Okonedo and Sam Neil in, Skin (BBC Films: 2008), the biopic which won 19 international awards.

Well versed in the art of theatre and film, Drikus also lectures Film and Television, and is one of the top Screen Acting coaches on the African continent. He headed up the Screen Acting Department at AFDA in Johannesburg for several years. AFDA has won numerous local and international awards, including the student film Oscar (2013) and several other Academy awards Nominations the past few years.

In 2018, Drikus starred in the critically acclaimed dystopian science fiction series alongside Dylan O Brien and Rosa Salazar in the American Blockbuster, Maze Runner: Death Cure (20th Century Fox: 2018). The series is nominated for several awards including BreakTudo Awards (BTDAs) and Teen Choice Awards.

In his latest work he stars as one of the leading men in the remake of the iconic SA film Fiela's Child (SAFTA winner best feature film 2019) and is currently Head of Mo Abudu's prestigious EbonyLife Creative Academy in Lagos, Nigeria, where he also heads up the screen acting department.

Tyler Bizzell was born on 15 July 1976 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. He is an actor and writer, known for Mission: Impossible III (2006), Angel (1999) and Lords of the Underworld (2007).

Daniel Hope was born on 17 August 1973 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He is a music artist and composer, known for Never Look Away (2018), This Must Be the Place (2011) and The Current War (2017). He is married to Silvana Hope.

Jorj Auré, born Judy Noluthando Poswa in Durban, South Africa, is a Shanghai-based voice actress. Having Swazi and Sotho roots, Jorj Auré began nurturing her artistic talents at a young age, with early passions in public speaking, music and song writing. Known for her soulful voice and dynamic range, she first entered the industry through voice acting, where her performances have been featured across multiple international platforms, including Spotify and IMDb-recognized productions.

Jorj's work spans genres and formats, from commercial voice overs to character-driven audio stories, reflecting her love for narrative depth and emotional connection. With her magnetic presence and dedication to the craft, Jorj Auré continues to build her global audience, captivating listeners worldwide.

Lee Brilleaux was born on 10 May 1952 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. He was an actor, known for Things We Did Last Summer (1978), Dr. Feelgood: Baby Jane (1977) and Dr. Feelgood: Violent Love (1981). He died on 7 April 1994 in Canvey Island, Essex, England, UK.

Jacob Zuma was born on 12 April 1942 in Durban, Natal, South Africa.

Nicole Cutler was born on 8 June 1972 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Great Performances (1971), Brendan Cole Live & Unjudged (2010) and Just the Two of Us (2006). She has been married to Jonathan Batty since November 2010. They have one child. She was previously married to Matthew Cutler.

Declan Miles was born on 9 February 2000 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He is an actor and writer, known for Apocalypse Chow (2023), Dictature of Dharma and Lehenga (2023).

Fatima Meer was born on 12 August 1928 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. She was a writer, known for Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story (2005), The Making of the Mahatma (1996) and Flow: For Love of Water (2008). She died on 12 March 2010 in Durban, Natal, South Africa.

Gugwana Dlamini was born in Durban, Natal, South Africa. She is known for The Lion King (1994), Sarafina! (1992) and Diminishing Returns (2016).

Kessie Govender was born in 1942 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. He was an actor, known for A Chip of Glass Ruby (1982) and Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls (1992). He was married to Jayshree ?. He died on 20 January 2002.

Leandros Brown is a Greek-South African filmmaker. He began studying for a mathematics degree at the University of Cape Town before pursuing his passion for filmmaking. He graduated from The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance (AFDA) with an honours degree in Directing and Writing. During this time, he directed, wrote, produced and edited two short films, which have screened at both local and international film festivals; The Calf (2021), which premiered at the Durban IFF, and his honours film, Hibernation (2023), which also premiered at the Durban IFF and won Best South African Student Film. He is currently in development with his third short film, The Mountain in the Sea, which he will hopefully shoot in Cape Town in 2025. Through his production company, Mythos Films, he is deeply focused on exploring engaging and poetic storytelling that draws inspiration from various cultures and fables from all parts of the world.