N!xau, a San from the Kalahari Desert, was discovered by director Jamie Uys and cast in the lead role in the 1980 movie Les dieux sont tombés sur la tête (1980). He received only a few hundred dollars for his work in that film, but was astute enough to negotiate for over half a million for his appearance in the sequel, Les dieux sont encore tombés sur la tête (1989). He reportedly suffered from tuberculosis during his life, and in early July 2003, Namibian officials based in the remote area of the Kalahari where N!xau lived, confirmed his death, though the exact cause of death was unknown. His age when he died was estimated to be 59, as not even N!xau himself was sure of his birthdate.
