Ken Gampu
Birthday:
28 August 1929, Germiston, South Africa
Ken Gampu was one of the first black South Africans to be featured in Hollywood films, working alongside such stars as Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster. A former schoolteacher, law clerk and interpreter, he spoke seven native dialects in addition to English and Afrikaans. Discovered by playwright Athol Fugard, he was cast in the play "No ...
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Ken Gampu was one of the first black South Africans to be featured in Hollywood films, working alongside such stars as Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster. A former schoolteacher, law clerk and interpreter, he spoke seven native dialects in addition to English and Afrikaans. Discovered by playwright Athol Fugard, he was cast in the play "No Good Friday" in 1958. In the 60s he moved to films and earned international distinction for his role in the movie adventure Dingaka (1964). He earned excellent notices as well a year later in Cornel Wilde's African adventure The Naked Prey (1965) as a warrior leader. Several of his films have earned cult status with time, including Zulu Dawn (1979) and The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980). Show less «
I would walk through Joubert Park in Johannesburg and dream about sitting on one of those benches marked Europeans Only.
I would walk through Joubert Park in Johannesburg and dream about sitting on one of those benches marked Europeans Only.
"For the first time the black man was on an equal footing with the white man, and you know - the heavens didn't fall" - on his role in a 197...Show more »
"For the first time the black man was on an equal footing with the white man, and you know - the heavens didn't fall" - on his role in a 1975 production of 'Of Mice and Men'. Show less «
Ken Gampu's Photos
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