District 9's Jason Cope: What It Really Took to Become a Seven-Foot Alien, And District 10?

South African actor and creator Jason Cope joins us for one of the most fascinating conversations we’ve had on the show.

From growing up as a magician in Cape Town, performing escape routines with Stuart Taylor, and hustling on the streets of London with nothing but a deck of cards — all the way to developing and performing the role of Christopher Johnson in District 9 — Jason’s journey is bold, unexpected, and wildly inspiring.

In this episode, we talk about:

• His early years in magic and comedy
• Street performing in London (including sleeping in the snow and doing magic on the Circle Line)
• How humour became a defence mechanism at an all-boys school
• The month-long physical and character development process behind Christopher Johnson
• Working with Sharlto Copley and Neil Blomkamp
• How District 9 changed his life
• The accident that paused his acting career for two years
• His shift into engineering and building large-scale renewable energy projects
• And yes… we talk District 10 rumours

If you love filmmaking, performance craft, personal reinvention, or South African creative stories — this one will stay with you.

🎙️ This is Khosi and Dave Have a Podcast — real conversations, good energy, and guests who inspire us.