David James

David James is a South African actor born on 28th October 1972. He grew up in Paarl, Western Cape, on a wine farm, and after receiving his WP-colors in sports and completing his military service, he decided to study acting. Between 1995 and 2001, James trained himself in singing, acting, dancing, and playing the flue. He received training from Joan Brickhill, a well-known choreographer known as the ‘grand dame’ of the South African theatre. Early on in his career, he starred in the productions of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘My Fair Lady’. He was also seen in the well-reviewed comedy ‘Fangs’. He also appeared in multiple commercials and as a guest star in several South African soaps. He is well-known to South African viewers for his roles as ‘Mad Dog’ on the enduring soap opera Isidingo from 2004 to 2006, where he played the role of a hired assassin.

However, he is best known for being the evil Koobus Venter in the 2009 science fiction thriller District 9, which received an Oscar nomination. James took a course of steroids to put on approximately 10 kg to prepare for this role. Despite having a side role, he did manage to get a lot of attention from the critics. In addition, he gained recognition for his depiction of Joel Joffe in the well-liked stage play ‘Rivonia Trial’ (2010) and Danie Nel in the television series ‘Binnelanders’ (2009). Despite receiving mixed reviews, he also portrayed Afrikaner Sergeant Hattingh in ‘Biko: Where the Soul Resides’ (2010). For his role as a vulture in ‘Jock of the Bushveld - the Musical’ (2010), he received immense appreciation. James acted as the nasty vampire Borlak in the 2010 film ‘Eternity’ and participated in TV episodes including ‘Wild at Heart’ and ‘Solving It’ (2010). His roles included those in foreign films like ‘Strike Back’ and ‘Kidnap and Ransom’ (2011). In ' Rhythm City ', James can also be spotted in Hermanus Meyer, a recurring character. His diverse contributions, which included work in theatre, film, and television, demonstrated his creativity and adaptability. James has also starred in the movies Chander Pahar (2013) and Amazon Obhijaan (2017), both of which are Bengali movies.

Some of his other endeavors include participation in ‘High Flyer’ competition for young actors as a celebrity judge. He was also a celebrity presenter at the Naledi Theatre Awards. He has also assisted in fundraising efforts for Faces of Hope.