Name Ken Gampu Role Actor | Spouse Violet Gampu (m. ?–2003) | |
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Children Gatsha Gampu, Ken Gampu Jr. Movies The Naked Prey, The Gods Must Be Crazy, King Solomon's Mines, Dingaka, American Ninja 4: The Anni Similar People Cornel Wilde, Jamie Uys, Ovidio G Assonitis, J Lee Thompson, Edward L Montoro | ||
Ken Gampu - Actor
Ken Gampu (born 28 August 1929 in Germiston, South Africa; died 4 November 2003 in Vosloorus, South Africa) was a South African actor.
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Before he began his career, Gampu was a physical training instructor, salesman, interpreter and police officer. His first acting job was in Athol Fugard's play, No Good Friday (1958). His big break came in the 1965 film Dingaka by Jamie Uys. The same year, he had a significant role in Cornel Wilde's African adventure film, The Naked Prey.
Ken Gampu - Actor
Background
Gampu was the son of Morrison Gampu, a former Bantu government interpreter who later became an actor himself.
1950s to 1970s
In the 1973 action film, Joe Bullet, Gampu was featured in the lead role playing the part of a strong action man, Joe Bullet. The character was described by The Guardian as being modeled on something between Shaft and James Bond. Bullet drunk alcohol, drove sports cars, did karate, throws knives and climbs up mineshafts. It was independently released in 1973, and it played at the Eyethu cinema in Soweto. It was screened twice then the film was banned. This was done because the South African government at the time were concerned how it may influence the aspirations of black South Africans. For about 40 years the original film reels were stored in a box in the back of producer Tonie van der Merwe's garage gathering dust. He hung on to the reels during the course of 40 years. Channel24.co.za announced on Jan 24, 2017, that after 44 years of absence, the film was to be screened at the The Bioscope Independent Cinema in Johannesburg on January 24th and at The Company Gardens in Cape Town on January 25th.
In Death of a Snowman, Gampu played a no-nonsense beat reporter trying to get the scoop on mysterious Mr. X. He is aided by a detective friend he has on the police force (played by Nigel Davenport.
1980s - 2000s
Playing the part of Khumalo, Gampu co-starred with Ian Yule and Tamara Franke in the 1982 film Shamwari.