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IMDbPro

David James(XLII)

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Trailer for Angel of the Skies
Play trailer1:23
Les Anges du ciel (2013)
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
James grew up on a wine farm in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa. His parents were very conservative and separatists during the time of apartheid in South Africa, and James was the first liberal in the family. He also clashed with his father, a strict Reformed Dutchman, about his interest in theater. He and his father struck a bargain that if he were to letter in sports in school, he could choose his own study
  • which he did. After his course in the military, he decided on arts
and performance.

Studying acting, singing, dance, and even the flute, James quickly made his mark in theater in South Africa. He has appeared in performances of Charlotte's Web, My Fair Lady, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Aladdin, among others. He has also appeared in many commercials and corporate promotional materials, including ads and promos for Ford, Toys 'R Us, and Compaq.

His television credits in South Africa are very different from his theater work, where he has often portrayed the menacing and even downright psychotic bad guy. His first big break came when he got the part of the snarling Koobus Venter in the 2009 science fiction hit District 9.
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Add photos, demo reels
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Photos2

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    Known for

    District 9 (2009)
    District 9
    7.9
    • Koobus Venter
    • 2009
    Mads Mikkelsen in The Salvation (2014)
    The Salvation
    6.7
    • Tracker
    • 2014
    Viola Davis in G20 (2025)
    G20
    5.1
    • Csonger
    • 2025
    Hunting Jessica Brok (2025)
    Hunting Jessica Brok
    • Whitman
    • 2025

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Hunting Jessica Brok
      • Whitman
      • Completed
      • 2025



    • Viola Davis in G20 (2025)
      G20
      5.1
      • Csonger
      • 2025
    • Anthony Oseyemi, Milan Jivan, Brendon Daniels, and Ayanda Makayi in Dance of Death (2024)
      Dance of Death
      • Botha
      • 2024
    • Sandi Schultz in Diepe Waters (2022)
      Diepe Waters
      8.8
      TV Series
      • Frederick
      • Coach Frederich
      • Frederich
      • 2022–2024
    • Classified (2023)
      Classified
      5.7
      TV Series
      • Farnie Steyn
      • 2023
    • Mikael Persbrandt in Menace au sommet (2023)
      Menace au sommet
      6.5
      • Congo Red
      • 2023
    • Die Onderonsie (2023)
      Die Onderonsie
      5.9
      TV Movie
      • Thys
      • 2023
    • Lea Vivier in Dam (2021)
      Dam
      5.8
      TV Series
      • Franz
      • Frans
      • 2021–2023
    • Reyka (2021)
      Reyka
      6.5
      TV Series
      • Erasmus
      • 2021
    • Anthony Oseyemi, Rea Rangaka, and Shamilla Miller in Lieux morts (2021)
      Lieux morts
      6.2
      TV Series
      • Robert
      • 2021
    • Walton Goggins and Joe Dempsie in Deep State (2018)
      Deep State
      7.1
      TV Series
      • Morten
      • 2019
    • Oorlewing: C-Blok (2019)
      Oorlewing: C-Blok
      TV Movie
      • Stephan
      • 2019
    • Peter Kurth and Ezra Mabengeza in Sew the Winter to My Skin (2018)
      Sew the Winter to My Skin
      5.5
      • Frontiersman
      • 2018
    • Knapsekêrels (2018)
      Knapsekêrels
      TV Series
      • Wealthy man 2 (2018)
      • 2018
    • David James and Deànré Reiners in The Boabab Boys (2016)
      The Boabab Boys
      Short
      • Captain Kruger
      • 2016
    • Roer Jou Voete (2015)
      Roer Jou Voete
      TV Series
      • Rudi Bryce
      • 2015

    Videos8

    District 9: "Contraband"
    Clip 0:43
    District 9: "Contraband"
    District 9: Comic-Con Footage with Sharlto Copley
    Interview 0:31
    District 9: Comic-Con Footage with Sharlto Copley
    District 9: Comic-Con Footage with Sharlto Copley
    Interview 0:31
    District 9: Comic-Con Footage with Sharlto Copley
    District 9: Comic-Con Footage with Neill Blomkamp
    Interview 0:21
    District 9: Comic-Con Footage with Neill Blomkamp
    District 9: Comic-Con Panel
    Interview 1:29
    District 9: Comic-Con Panel
    Angel of the Skies
    Trailer 1:23
    Angel of the Skies
    District 9
    Featurette 2:32
    District 9

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Height
      • 1.80 m
    • Other works
      Stage Play: Jock of the Bushveld - playing Boet, at The Mandela at the Joburg Theatre Complex in Johannesburg.

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Was actually in the military when he was younger and so was comfortable with the weapons and battle sequences of District 9, however, has said that he did struggle with the amount of profanity expected of him when playing the character of Koobus.
    • Quotes
      [on the making of District 9 (2009)]: I'm being paid to be a boy of twelve. As a kid growing up and wanting to shoot aliens and play with my mates and my friends, you created all this in the back of your mind.
    • Trademarks
        In television and in his breakthrough performance in District 9, James has portrayed the menacing and even psychotic "bad guy."

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