Biography
Who is Sharlto Copley?
Early life and education
Sharlto Copley was born in Pretoria, South Africa. He grew up in the Transvaal province, which is now known as Gauteng. His father, Bruce Copley, worked as a university professor.
For his schooling, he attended St. Andrew's Preparatory School in Makhanda. He later went to Redhill School in Morningside, Johannesburg. His brother, Donovan, was the lead singer for the Cape Town music group Hot Water.
Career highlights
Sharlto Copley became famous through his work with Neill Blomkamp. He played the lead character Wikus van der Merwe in the 2009 film District 9. For this role, he improvised all of his dialogue. He won Favorite Hero and Best Performance at the 2009 IGN Summer Movie awards.
He appeared in several major science fiction projects. These include playing the title character in Chappie in 2015 and the villain Agent Kruger in Elysium. He also acted in the film Europa Report as astronaut James Corrigan in 2013.
Other film credits include the 2010 adaptation of The A-Team, where he played H. M. Murdock. He worked with Angelina Jolie in the 2014 Disney production Maleficent as King Stefan. His recent television work includes a role in the fourth season of The Witcher in 2025.
Family and personal life
Sharlto Copley began a relationship with model and actress Tanit Phoenix in January 2012. The pair married in Cape Town on February 15, 2016. They have one daughter together.
The couple lived apart starting in October 2021. Sharlto Copley filed for divorce in June 2023. He has also worked on various production projects, including writing and directing a clip for the South African Film and Television Awards.
Birthday and age
Sharlto Copley was born on November 27, 1973, which makes Sharlto 52 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Sharlto shares the date with 34 other famous people.
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