A Namibian actor N!xau Toma who played a prominent role in the film “The Gods Must Be Crazy” received a mere $300 for his performance in the first installment, despite the movie’s staggering $200 million gross revenue. In contrast, he negotiated a more substantial payment of $500,000 for his involvement in the sequel.
Though Toma, the actor in question, enjoyed significant screen time throughout the one-hour-and-forty-nine-minute film, his compensation was disproportionately low. Born in Namibia, he belonged to the ǃKung people, also referred to as Bushmen, indicating his Indigenous hunter-gatherer heritage. Before his acting career, he worked as a bush farmer.
Fluent in Jul’hoan, Otjiherero, and Tswana languages, Toma’s life experience was primarily confined to his community, with scant knowledge of his own age. His breakthrough role in “The Gods Must Be Crazy” catapulted him into fame.
The film, set in Southern Africa, narrates the tale of a tribe stumbling upon a glass Coca-Cola bottle, dropped from an airplane, which they interpret as a divine gift. Conflict ensues as the tribe vies for possession of the mysterious object, prompting their leader, Xi (portrayed by Toma), to embark on a whimsical journey to return the bottle and restore peace.
Upon its release in 1980, the comedy shattered box office records across South African cities and emerged as the highest-grossing film in Japan in 1982.
