N!xau(1944-2003)
- Actor
N!xau, a San from the Kalahari Desert, was discovered by director
Jamie Uys and cast in the lead role in the 1980 movie The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980). He
received only a few hundred dollars for his work in that film, but was
astute enough to negotiate for over half a million for his appearance
in the sequel, The Gods Must Be Crazy II (1989). He reportedly suffered from tuberculosis during
his life, and in early July 2003, Namibian officials based in the
remote area of the Kalahari where N!xau lived, confirmed his death,
though the exact cause of death was unknown. His age when he died was
estimated to be 59, as not even N!xau himself was sure of his
birthdate.
