View source for Nǃxau ǂToma

{{Short description|Namibian farmer and actor (1944–2003)}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name                   = Nǃxau ǂToma
| image                  = N!xau 2003.jpg
| imagesize              =
| caption                = Nǃxau in 2003
| birth_date             = {{birth date|1944|12|16|df=y}}
| birth_place            = [[Tsumkwe]], [[South West Africa]], [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]]<br />(present-day [[Namibia]])
| death_date             = {{Death date and age|2003|07|05|1944|12|16|df=y}}
| death_place            = [[Tsumkwe]], [[Namibia]]
| other_names            = Nǃxau<br />Gǃkau<br />Gcao Tekene Çoma
| years_active           = 1980–1994
| spouse                 = Kora Coma (m. ?⁠–⁠2003)
| children               = 6
| occupation             = Bush farmer, actor
}}
{{Contains special characters|Khoekhoe}}
'''Nǃxau ǂToma'''{{efn|The letter in his name that looks like an exclamation mark is an [[alveolar consonant]] in his native language of [[Juǀʼhoan language|Juǀʼhoan]].}} (short: '''Nǃxau''', alternative spelling '''Gcao Tekene Çoma''';{{dubious|date=April 2023}}{{fix|text='C' is not equivalent to 'ǃ'}} 16 December 1944 – 5 July 2003) was a [[Namibia]]n [[San people|bush farmer]] and actor who starred in the 1980 film ''[[The Gods Must Be Crazy]]'' and its sequels, in which he played the [[Kalahari Desert|Kalahari]] [[San people|Bushman]] Xixo.<ref name=Independent/><ref name="NE">{{cite news|url=http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=40929 |title=Gcao Tekene Coma: Internationally acclaimed Namibian film star (±1944–2003) |last=Shiremo |first=Shampapi |date=30 September 2011 |newspaper=[[New Era (Namibia)|New Era]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515225710/http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=40929 |archive-date=15 May 2012 }}</ref> ''[[The Namibian]]'' called him "Namibia's most famous actor".<ref name=NamibObit/>
==Biography==
Nǃxau was a member of the [[ǃKung people]], one of several peoples known as [[Bushmen]]. N!xau was a Namibian who starred in the 1980 movie ''The Gods Must Be Crazy'' and its sequels, in which he played the Kalahari Bushman Xixo.
He spoke [[Juǀʼhoan language|Juǀʼhoan]], [[Otjiherero language|Otjiherero]], and [[Tswana language|Tswana]] fluently, as well as some [[Afrikaans]].<ref name="NamibObit" /> He did not know his exact age,<ref name="Independent" /><ref name="NamibObit" /> and before his appearance in the films he had little experience beyond his home. He had only ever seen three white people before casting,<ref name="Independent" /> and when director [[Jamie Uys]] gave him his first cash payment of $300 for ''[[The Gods Must Be Crazy]]'', he allegedly let it blow away in the wind because he did not understand its value.<ref name="san" /><ref name="Independent">{{cite web|work=[[The Independent]]|title=Nǃxau: Kalahari bushman who became an international film star|date=10 July 2003|access-date=19 January 2009|last=Vallance|first=Tom|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/nxau-755451.html}}{{dead link|date=February 2014|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name="NamibObit">{{cite web|url=http://www.namibian.com.na/2003/june/national/03E045E14E.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030731075751/http://www.namibian.com.na/2003/june/national/03E045E14E.html|archive-date=31 July 2003|work=[[The Namibian]]|access-date=19 January 2009|date=11 July 2003|title=Cgao Coma – bridging ancient and modern|last=Tangeni|first=Amupadhi|url-status=dead}}</ref> This was despite money already being a serious matter for other San since many of them depended on purchased food and government aid and/or had enlisted in the [[South African Army]] due to the high wages it paid.<ref name="volkman">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/19/opinion/l-despite-the-movie-there-s-little-to-laugh-at-in-bushmanland-249688.html|title=Despite the Movie, There's Little to Laugh at in Bushmanland|last=Volkman|first=Toby Alice|date=19 May 1985|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=24 July 2020}}</ref> He was, however, able to negotiate for near several hundred thousand for his appearance in [[The Gods Must Be Crazy II|the sequel]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=L. A. Times |date=2003-07-07 |title=N!xau; Delighted Audiences in 'The Gods Must Be Crazy' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jul-07-me-n-xau7-story.html |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> He came from a culture that did not value the material things that money could buy and consequently had not learned money management skills,<ref name="NamibObit" /> although he used some of his income to build a brick house with running water and electricity for his family.<ref name="Independent" /> He also bought a used car and subsequently hired a [[chauffeur]], as he had no desire to learn to drive.<ref name="san" />
Nǃxau converted to Christianity and in July 2000, he was baptized as a [[Seventh-day Adventist]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.signsofthetimes.org.au/archives/2005/january_february/article10.shtm|title=God Isn't Crazy|author=Tania Calais|website=[[Signs of the Times (Australia)|Signs of the Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125125931/http://www.signsofthetimes.org.au/archives/2005/january_february/article10.shtm|archive-date=25 November 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS72VQcwNOQ#t=592s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/yS72VQcwNOQ| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Reaching the Unreached|author1=Sebastian Tirtirau |author2=Dan Serb |website=[[YouTube]] |format=10 minutes in}}{{cbignore}} {{YouTube|user=makunz1|title=''Michael Kunz''}}</ref>
He was found dead in late June 2003 near his home in Namibia after going out to collect wood and on an excursion to hunt [[guineafowl]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.znbc.co.zm/news/meet-the-namibian-actor-who-helped-gross-60m-for-the-1980-film-the-gods-must-be-crazy-and-was-paid-300/ |title=Meet The Namibian Actor Who Helped Gross $60m For The 1980 Film 'The Gods Must Be Crazy' And Was Paid $300 |first=Joshua |last=Jere |date=6 September 2019 |access-date=29 July 2023 |work=[[ZNBC]]}}</ref> He died from [[Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis|multiple-drug-resistant tuberculosis]]. According to official estimates, he was about 58 or 59 years old at the time. He was buried on 12 July in a semi-traditional [[funeral|ceremony]] at [[Tsumkwe]], next to the [[Grave (burial)|grave]] of his second wife. He had six surviving children.<ref name=NamibObit/>
==Career==
In addition to ''The Gods Must Be Crazy'', Nǃxau starred in a series of [[sequel]]s: ''The Gods Must Be Crazy II'', ''[[Crazy Safari]]'', ''[[Crazy Hong Kong]]'' and ''[[The Gods Must Be Funny in China]]''. After his film career ended, he returned to Namibia, where he farmed maize, pumpkins, and beans, and kept several heads of cattle (but no more than 20 at a time because, according to ''[[The Independent]]'', without the complex farming systems of the "modern world", he had trouble keeping track of more).<ref name="Independent" /> The Namibian local daily ''[[New Era (Namibia)|New Era]]'' stated that he simply could not count further than 20.<ref name="NE" />
==Filmography==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1980|| ''[[The Gods Must Be Crazy]]'' || Xi ||<ref name=san>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1435659/Nxau.html|title=Nǃxau|website=The Telegraph|date=10 July 2003 |access-date=2019-09-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103174945/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1435659/Nxau.html|archive-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
|-
|1989|| ''[[The Gods Must Be Crazy II]]'' || Xixo ||<ref name=san/>
|-
|1990|| ''[[Oh Schucks...! Here Comes UNTAG]]'' || || Also known as Kwacca Strikes Back
|-
|1991|| ''[[Crazy Safari]]'' || Nǃxau The Bushman ||<ref name=san/>
|-
|1993|| ''[[Crazy Hong Kong]]'' || Xi ||<ref name=san/>
|-
|1994|| ''[[The Gods Must be Funny in China]]'' || Nixau - Bushman ||<ref name=san/>
|-
|2004|| ''[[Journey to Nyae Nyae]]'' || Self || Final film role
|}
===TV variety show===
*''[[:ja:世界ウルルン滞在記|Sekai Ururun Taizaiki]](世界ウルルン滞在記)'' (1996) – Self
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Portal|Biography|Christianity}}
* {{IMDb name|0618452}}
* {{Hkmdb name|8764}}
{{The Gods Must Be Crazy film series}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nxau}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Otjozondjupa Region]]
[[Category:21st-century deaths from tuberculosis]]
[[Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Namibia]]
[[Category:San people]]
[[Category:Converts to Adventism]]
[[Category:Namibian Seventh-day Adventists]]
[[Category:20th-century Namibian people]]
[[Category:20th-century male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century farmers]]
[[Category:Namibian male actors]]