Leon Schuster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leon Schuster
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Schuster (c. 2001)
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| Born | 21 May 1951 Vereeniging, South Africa
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| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse(s) | Lalie Schuster (div. 1999) |
Leon Ernest "Schucks" Schuster, born on May 21, 1951, is a famous South African filmmaker, comedian, actor, prankster, and singer. He is well-known for his funny movies and songs that often involve hidden camera pranks and slapstick comedy.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
Leon Schuster loved making films from a young age. When he was a child, he and his brother would play jokes on their family and film them. He once said that he enjoyed watching comedians like Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin. He always liked acting out scenes and playing pranks. He never thought he would become a movie star, but he enjoys entertaining people.
Schuster studied at the University of the Orange Free State. He even played rugby for the university's main team. After finishing his studies, he worked as a teacher for two years at Jim Fouché High School.
Career Highlights
Leon Schuster started his career working for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). There, he created a radio show called Vrypostige Mikrofoon (meaning "Frank Microphone"). For this show, he would change his voice and play phone pranks on people who didn't know they were being recorded.
Music Success
In 1982, a record company asked Schuster to create a series of sports songs. This led to his first album, Leon Schuster, which sold 10,000 copies. His second album, Broekskeur, sold more than 40,000 copies. He then released Briekdans and Leon Schuster – 20 Treffers, which sold over 270,000 copies together.
His popular CD Hier Kom Die Bokke (meaning "Here Come The Boks," referring to the South African rugby team) won an FNB Sama Music Award in 1995 for being the biggest-selling CD of the year. His next CD, Gatvol in Paradise, sold over 125,000 copies. It also featured the song "Gautengeleng," which became a popular unofficial song for the Gauteng province.
Film Adventures
Schuster's first movie, You Must Be Joking!, was made with Johan Scholtz and Elmo de Witt. It became very popular in South Africa. This led to a sequel called You Must be Joking! Too.
These movies were made using candid camera sketches, where hidden cameras filmed people's reactions to pranks. Schuster made many more films like these, as well as slap-stick comedies. His most successful film was Mr Bones, which earned more than R33 million at the South African box office.
In 2011, it was announced that Schuster's movie, Mad Buddies, would be partly funded by the Walt Disney Company. Disney also helped with distributing and marketing the film. Mad Buddies was released in 2012 and starred Schuster alongside comedian Kenneth Nkosi.
Comedic Style and Changes
Leon Schuster's comedy often involves playing pranks and creating funny, sometimes risky, situations. He believes people enjoy his style because they know there will be "trouble" and laughter when he is involved.
In 2018, Schuster spoke about his comedy. He admitted that he had used "blackface" in some of his films. Blackface is when a non-black person uses makeup to look like a black person, which is now widely seen as offensive and racist because of its history. Schuster said he was sorry for having profited from it. He also mentioned that he couldn't make a sequel to his movie Mama Jack because of the criticism around blackface. He said that people, especially on social media, told him to avoid it, and he listened. He stated that he would not use blackface again because it is now seen as racist.
Films Removed from Streaming
On June 19, 2020, the South African streaming service Showmax removed several of Schuster's films. They said his content was "racially insensitive" because he had used blackface for comedy in many of his movies. This happened during a time of increased discussions about racial sensitivity and equality. Schuster said he was "shocked" and believed his films were "innocent" and just about "pranking people."
Later, one of his films, Frank and Fearless (2018), was put back on the streaming service after being reviewed.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
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| 1986 | You Must Be Joking! | Schucks |
| 1987 | You Must Be Joking! Too | Schucks |
| 1989 | Oh Schucks...It's Schuster! | Schucks |
| 1990 | Oh Schucks...! Here Comes U.N.T.A.G. (aka Kwagga Strikes Back) | Kwagga Robertse |
| 1991 | Sweet 'n Short | Sweet Coetzee |
| 1993 | There's a Zulu On My Stoep (aka Yankee Zulu) | Rhino Labuschagne |
| 1997 | Panic Mechanic | Schucks |
| 1999 | Millennium Menace | Schucks |
| 2001 | Mr Bones | Bones |
| 2004 | Oh Schuks... I'm Gatvol | Schucks |
| 2005 | Mama Jack | Jack Theron Mama Bolo Donald |
| 2008 | Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past | Bones |
| 2010 | Schuks Tshabalala's Survival Guide to South Africa | Schuks Tshabalala |
| 2012 | Mad Buddies | Boetie |
| 2013 | Schuks! Your Country Needs You | Schucks |
| 2015 | Shucks! Pay Back the Money! | Schucks |
| 2018 | Frank and Fearless | Frank |
| 2022 | Mr Bones 3: Son of Bones | Bones |
Discography
Albums
- Wat Kan Lekkerder Wees - Vinyl album with Cora Marie
- Leon Schuster (1982)
- Broekskeur (1983)
- Waar En Wolhaar (1983)
- Briekdans (1984)
- Rugby (1985)
- You Must Be Joking! (1986)
- Dasiefoutie (1988)
- "Shakin" Schuster En Sy Opkikkers (1992)
- Hie' Kommie Bokke (1995)
- Gatvol in Paradise (1997)
- Die Vrypostige Mikrofoon, Volume 1 (1998)
- Die Vrypostige Mikrofoon, Volume 2 (1998)
- Baas Funny Plaas (1999)
- Springbok Rugby Hits - Bring it Home (1999)
- My Beste Jare (2001)
- My Mates – Die Bokke(2001)
- Groen, Goud En White (2002)
- Catchup Song And Every Cricket Hit (2003)
- Oh Schuks... I'm Gatvol (2004)
- Op Dun Eish (2006)
- Hie' Kommie Bokke 2! (2007)
- Dra Die Bok (2008)
Singles
- Hou Jou Bek / Ek Was Op Jou Troue (1981)
- She Sells Sea Shells / Dis Lekker Innie Army (1982)
- Hey, Bokke! (2019)
See also
In Spanish: Leon Schuster para niños
