Q&A with Sou Africa s very own Hollywood star, Sharlto Copley

Chappie is Neill Blomkamp's latest locally flavoured blockbuster starring Hollywood actor Sharlto Copley. Tiara Walters asked Copley what it was like playing a machine with a Sefrican twist, why he keeps working with Blomkamp and if Hollywood will ever take the South African accent seriously. By Tiara Walters

Also featuring Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver and zef rappers Yo-landi and Ninja from Die Antwoord, the film tracks the life of Earth's first thinking, feeling robot.

What's the greatest lesson you've learnt from Neill Blomkamp?

Neill is not afraid to take risks if it means driving more emotion into a scene. In District 9 there's a scene where Wikus cuts off one of his tentacle fingers . The scene was only shot after Neill had seen the film's first cut, because he had decided that making Wikus sever his tentacle finger would reveal his utter desperation.

Yet it was a continuity nightmare - we had already shot most of the film depicting Wikus with all his tentacles. But Neill was right, its now a memorable scene that nails the character's internal conflict. Besides, nobody noticed the finger issue later because they were too busy feeling the characters journey.

You and Neill keeping collaborating - why?

Hes one of the world's best directors and it's an honour to go to battle with him in this extremely competitive industry.

We also flow creatively: a couple years ago I developed this character based on Cape Town gangsters, which I had wanted to use in Men in Black III, but Hollywood didnt go for it. So I sent a couple of improvised character scenes to Neill just to share it with him. A few weeks later he calls me and goes, Dude, I have this idea for a film where you play a robot with a Cape Flats accent. That's how Chappie was born.

Which aspect of Chappie challenged you the most creatively?

In a film like this the robots would usually be CGI characters - the actors on set are acting against nothing and the robots are added afterwards. For Chappie, I wore a skin-tight, grey suit and was actually acting on set with the other actors. This helped the other actors deliver realistic performances and gave the animators the Chappie character to work from. The results speak for themselves - audiences believe Chappie is real.

It once seemed impossible for SA actors to make it in Hollywood. Have local success stories such as yourself and Charlize made it easier for the rest of us?

Neill has created vehicles for South African actors to appear on a Hollywood stage but its still very hard for them to get work outside his projects.

Our accent is still the biggest consideration. Some South Africans get upset that Charlize changed hers but she had no choice. When Hollywood is looking for somebody to play an all-American girl, she qualifies - now imagine if she still had her strong Afrikaans accent. There are too many talented Americans competing for the same roles.

I am in a different situation because I am a character actor. I change my accent and voice all the time. I wasn't just handed role of Murdock in The A-Team after District 9 - I filmed a bunch of improvised scenes in my hotel room showing that I knew the character and could do different accents. Sure, District 9 got me noticed, but I still had to fight for my place, so I cant imagine how tough it must be for other South African actors.

How sure are you that the SA quirks you've injected into your work have real staying power in Hollywood, and aren't just seen as freakish novelties with a limited life span?

District 9 has quirks and slang only South Africans would get, but the film's entire concept is rooted in our apartheid history and the challenges that arise when cultures clash. In Elysium, Neill presents the metaphor of societies wrestling with immigration - you see Sandton-type enclaves floating above neighbourhoods in abject poverty. Our work is genuinely authentic, yet speaks to a global audience about universal issues.

Do Americans understand us better now because of your films? Or are they still stuck on stereotypes of racism, crime and free-roaming wildlife?

I dont know if our films have informed American audiences, but they have helped keep the country and its clashing politics on the radar.

In my travels, Ive noticed that the racist white South African stereotype has mostly faded. Now the world is asking, What happens next? I often find myself in rooms with very high-profile people who seem to know a lot more than I would expect - they ask if Zuma is going to be another Mugabe, why didnt we let the Dalai Lama into the country, why is the ANC forming alliances with countries such as Russia and China who are not known for multi-cultural tolerance?

Americans are also getting more familiar with our accents. Initially the executives behind Chappie said people would never understand the robot's Cape Town accent. Even I was worried that I was taking things too far this time. In the end, when the executives tested the film in post-production, they didn't have any issues with the accent at all.

- Chappie is on South African screens from March 13

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