Chapter 3 · 1997–2010

In front of the camera

Actor and stunt performer on international productions, from Sinbad in 1997 to Lord of War with Nicolas Cage.

Sensei San Ndlovu on set as an armed hitman, ammunition belt over his shoulder

A dancer knows how to fall, and a fighter knows how to take a hit. In 1997, a film set put both skills to work.

The first fall

Sensei San Ndlovu’s screen career began in 1997 on Sinbad, filmed in South Africa, where he was lead stunt double for the lead actor. Sawubona, SAA’s inflight magazine, later told the story under the headline “Look, Ma, no hands”.

II.

Fire and falls

On Third World, a Canadian series filmed in Cape Town, he performed full-body fire burns. The Sunday Argus covered the work as “Masters of the art of burning bodies – for movies”. Men’s Health profiled him as “The stuntman” in 2003, and Screen Africa covered the industry’s effects work in 2007.

III.

The credits

He worked as an actor and stunt performer on:

Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage
King Solomon’s Mines, starring Patrick Swayze
Boesman and Lena, with Angela Bassett and Danny Glover
The Piano Player, with Dennis Hopper and Christopher Lambert

Other credits include Hitman, IBIS with Dennis Haysbert, Interpol, Spoon and 10KBC.

By 2009 The Weekender was calling him a “pioneer of a diverse local stunt industry”, and the Weekend Argus wrote: “From Tokyo to LA, this fall guy is on a roll.”