Famous SA actor to host Chefs Theatre

Born in Johannesburg in 1960, Frank grew up in Pretoria but subsequently went to eleven schools before matriculating in 1978. While studying law and only getting three percent for a Latin test, Frank decided that he'd never be a judge and did the only other job besides what he's doing now: working as an instrument fitter on the building of Sasol2.

Early in 1980, Frank enlisted at the Bethlehem engineering corps and spent the first year playing in a military marching band. "After the army I met a girl who was studying drama and decided that acting seemed like an interesting job, so I did my three-year national diploma in drama at the Pretoria Technicon. While still studying I made the very wise and grown-up decision of getting married. My marital bliss lasted a year and a half."

He started working for PACT, but after being called up for a three month army camp, he resigned and began a freelance career which included a whole year of writing the TV series "Honnibal se Toere" with Greg Latter. He also acted in his first feature film with the now world famous "Mummy" Arnold Vosloo in "Boetie Gaan Border Toe".

Then the ever popular "Orkney Snork Nie" came along and his name changed from Frank Opperman to Ouboet van Tonder. "It was during this time that I did the inevitable and married my second wife, Susan Coetser, in 1988. We had a son twelve months later and called him Frankie. The marriage ended in 1992."
"Orkney Snork Nie" ran for 56 episodes, after which Frank acted in the movie "The Stick", directed by the now Oscar nominated Darryl Roodt. Then "The Big Time" series arrived in which Frank played the Cypriot emigrant Chris Karedes. While co-writing episodes, he acted in numerous feature films and appeared in various shows, and also co-wrote two feature films with Nicky Rebello: "Tough Luck" featuring himself, and "No Hero" starring Steve Hofmeyer.

Frank moved to America in 1993 and lived in Los Angeles for 18 months and was granted a green card: Alien of extraordinary ability (only in USA). "My first year was spent hanging around doing all sorts of menial jobs. I was the first person to be legally given a dose of MDMA (ecstasy) on American soil in a scientific experiment. The BBC filmed it and I earned US$700 for the whole affair. I also managed to go to the Oscars!"

After finding an agent and manager Frank started going to auditions. He made a guest appearance in the sitcom "Coach" and made an appearance as a cop in a movie with a very inebriated Jean Michael Vincent.
Back in South Africa and after being involved in a jazz club, he became addicted to this genre. After teaming up with friend Michael Maxwell, they composed twelve songs and released a rock album called "Serial Boyfriend" - something he was once called by an ex-girlfriend.
But acting stayed in his blood and after an absence of about twelve years, he returned to theatre. "'Talk Radio' was directed by Craig Freimont and we did a month run at the Ci-
vic in Johannesburg, and then I spent two months in Stellenbosch rehearsing and performing in the 'pantomime, Rooikoppetjie', directed by Marthinus Basson. I was the big bad wolf!"
After the arrival of the new millennium Frank did another sitcom series called "Gauteng-Aleng", written and directed by Willie Esterhuisen, the creator of "Orkney Snork Nie".

"I got into the live theatre thing and started performing one-man-shows. Harry Kalmer wrote two of them for me,'25 Vrouens' and 'Meneer de Bee'. Both were turned into short films for TV and broadcast on television. At the moment I am doing a comedy one man show, 'Die Uwe Pottie Potgieter', written for me by Dana Snyman." (This was a sell-out show at the recent KKNK, also making the record books for biggest sales ever at this event.)
The Chefs Theatre at the Expo is brought to you with the compliments of Cupboard Concepts, First National Bank Homeloans, Meatco and Namibia Breweries.