South African born actors
by purple_dragon_magess | created - 11 Jul 2011 | updated - 11 Jul 2011 | PublicList of south african born actors who have become internationally famous
1. Basil Rathbone
Actor | The Adventures of Robin Hood
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, ...
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
2. Charlize Theron
Producer | Monster
Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, a city in the greater Johannesburg area, in South Africa, the only child of Gerda Theron (née Maritz) and Charles Theron. She was raised on a farm outside the city. Theron is of Afrikaner (Dutch, with some French Huguenot and German) descent, and Afrikaner ...
3. Leon Schuster
Actor | Mama Jack
Leon Schuster was born on May 21, 1951 in Vereeniging, South Africa. He is an actor and writer, known for Mama Jack (2005), Mr. Bones (2001) and Yankee Zulu (1993).
4. Sasha Pieterse
Actress | Pretty Little Liars
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)...
5. Sharlto Copley
Actor | District 9
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...
6. Candice Hillebrand
Actress | Tekken
Candice Hillebrand was born on January 19, 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).
7. Cliff Simon
Actor | Stargate: Continuum
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 ...
8. Sidney James
Actor | Carry on Cleo
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 ...
9. Zakes Mokae
Actor | The Serpent and the Rainbow
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 ...
10. Rapulana Seiphemo
Actor | Jerusalema
Rapulana Seiphemo was born on November 4, 1967 in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor and producer, known for Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema (2008), White Wedding (2009) and Tsotsi (2005).
11. Joe Vaz
Actor | The Watch
Johannesburg born, Joe Vaz is an actor/writer best known for his character work in Good Omens (2019), Black Sails (2014) and Dredd (2012). Joe started out his career as a musical theatre performer before moving into film and television.
Joe also runs a micro-budget indie film company, Inkless Media,...
12. Janet Suzman
Actress | Nicholas and Alexandra
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...
13. Marius Weyers
Actor | The Gods Must Be Crazy
Marius Weyers was born on February 3, 1945 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor, known for The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980), Blood Diamond (2006) and Gandhi (1982).
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