South African filmmaker Sharlto Copley is best known for producing and starring in the short film Alive in Joburg, which the feature film District 9 was based on. He would also star in the adaptation, playing the role of Wikus. Named after a character on a radio show his mother listened to, Copley dabbled in acting in high school, but later cofounded a media production company. It was there that Copley hired a 16 year old computer-graphics designer named Neill Blomkamp. Over the years the pair developed a fruitful working relationship, and after starring in both Alive in Joberg and District 9, Copley struck out on his own as Howling Mad Murdoch in Joe Carnahan's big-screen take on The A-Team.
Sharlto Copley
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- Named after a character on a radio show his mother listened to.
- Was such a huge fan of The A-Team television series while growing up that he formed an A-Team gang.
- Acted a bit in high school, but decided to pursue an off-screen career as a writer-director-producer.
- Cofounded a media production company after high school; also helped start a TV channel, a talent agency and a visual-effects house.
- Hired future District 9 director Neill Blomkamp to work for his media company as a computer-graphics designer when Blomkamp was 16.
- Improvised his dialogue in District 9.