Top 10 Amazing Facts about Sharlto Copley

Sharlto Copley at the 2009 Comic-Con in San Diego, California. Photo by Natasha Baucas. Wikimedia Commons.

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Sharlto Copley

Sharlto Copley is a South African actor. Prior to acting, Copley worked as a writer, producer and director. His first acting feature was on the film District 9.

He has acted in many known films including roles in the Academy Award-nominated science fiction film District 9, the 2010 adaptation of the A-Team, the science fiction film Elysium, the science fiction horror film Europa Report and the dark fantasy adventure film Maleficent.

Sharlto Copley was born in Johannesburg and educated at St. Andrew’s Prepauratory School in Grahamstown and Redhill School in Morningside, Johannesburg.

1. He improvised lines for District 9 on the spot

“Fokin Prawns” magical lines in District 9 is how we all know Sharlto. All Wikus’ words we all his own work which most people have absolutely no idea he did that. The character’s lines have a very detailed script, but 100% of Wikus’s lines were improvised on the spot by Sharlto.

2. He has a net worth of 15 million dollars

According to Forbes, Wikipedia, IMDB, and other reputable online sources, Sharlto Copley has an estimated net worth of $15 Million at the age of 48 years old in year 2022.

He has earned most of his wealth from his thriving career as an Actor, Film director, Film Producer from South Africa. It is possible that He makes money from other undiscovered sources.

3. He is married to Tanit Phoenix Copley

Tanit Phoenix, international model and actress. Photo by Agent2t. Wikimedia Commons.

Sharlto Copley is currently married to Tanit Phoenix Copley. She is an actress and a fashion model. The couple started dating in 2012. On 15 February 2016, they married in Cape Town, South Africa, and announced their first child together on 1 January 2017. Phoenix resides with her husband alternating between their houses in Cape Town and Los Angeles. Phoenix is a vegan. They have one child together.

4. He adopted a Scottish accent for the film Maleficent

Star of District 9 and Chappie. August 2016 NYC. Photo by Greg2600. Wikimedia Commons.

African actor Sharlto Copley adopted a Scottish accent for his new Disney movie Maleficent. This is because he wanted his king character to sound as royal as possible. “I was proud of my accent.

I have distant Scottish relatives and growing up in South Africa, we were exposed to a lot of British influence – U.K., Irish, Scottish.’ He said. Copley believes that choosing the accent is the first and most important part of playing a character.

5. Copley met Neill Blomkamp after high school

Shortly after leaving high school, Copley met Neill Blomkamp. Copley provided Blomkamp with use of computers at his production company to assist the company with pitches for various projects.

This also allowed Blomkamp to further pursue his passion and talent for 3D animation and design. Later on, Copley started in District 9 a film co-written and directed by Neill Blomkamp.

6. Copley is a producer and a director

In 2010 Copley produced, wrote and directed an insert for the South African Film and Television Awards called “Wikus and Charlize”, featuring fellow South African star Charlize Theron. The clip features Copley as Wikus attempting to track down Charlize Theron in Hollywood to help him present the Award for Best Afrikaans Pop album.

7. He guests co-hosted WWE Raw

Copley guest co-hosted WWE Raw on 7 June 2010, along with his A-Team co-stars Bradley Cooper and Quinton Jackson. It was a WWE Monday Night Raw at American Airlines Arena on June 7, 2010 in Miami, Florida.

8. He has starred in many films and TV

Ben Wheatley and the cast of Free Fire (inc. Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley). Photo by Bex Walton. Wikimedia Commons.

Copley played villain Adrian Pryce in Spike Lee’s Oldboy, a remake of the 2003 South Korean film of the same name. He also starred opposite Angelina Jolie in the 2014 Disney film Maleficent and played King Stefan, Princess Aurora’s father.

In March 2018, Copley starred in the crime comedy film Gringo as Mitch Rusk. Copley portrayed the titular character of a biographical film about Ted Kaczynski titled Ted K. In 2013, Copley played fictional astronaut James Corrigan in Europa Report, the story of a crew of international astronauts sent on a private mission to Jupiter’s fourth moon.

9. He did very dangerous stunts on the film Free Fire

The stunts involved fire and guns. ‘As it turns out, insurance would say that that’s the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done on camera because we could shoot everything in sequence except my burn.

My burn had to get shot at the very end of the movie once they had everything in the can, and it was wild. It was seriously not messing around. Stunts are always taken very seriously and especially when it’s an actor, then everyone babies you even more. With the burn it really was serious. It was a very serious environment.’

10. He sustained injuries on set for Free Fire

Sharlto Copley at the premiere of Free Fire, 2016 Toronto Film Festival. Photo by GabboT. Wikimedia Commons.

Written and directed by Ben Wheatley, Free Fire is an ensemble film set in the 1970s and centers on a gun deal gone bad. Two groups meet in a warehouse for an exchange that is meant to supply munitions to the rebel fighters in Ireland, but personal conflicts and double-dealings quickly lead everything to go to hell.

There were crazy noise levels on set for this film. At one point, Copley forgot to use earplugs. ‘The one shot where I fired down the side of the van, I had left out the earplug in my left ear for some reason. Because you’re taking them in and out between takes, you can’t hear, you take them out. And I shot down the van, and my ear was right next to the van, next to the metal as I fired. And it just went BANG, man, and I was down. I was in so much pain. ‘