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Cape Town - Frankie Opperman is a South African actor best known for his starring role as Johan de Jager in the kykNET period drama Donkerland (2013).
With famous parents; actor Frank Opperman and writer Susan Coetzer, TV and entertainment is in the 31-year-old's blood.
He says: "It was a natural fit for me to pursue a career in this field, although I prefer being behind the camera rather than in front of it."
Frankie Opperman currently heads up Crew-ETC, a new division launched under Talent-ETC, where technical crew and other creatives also have the opportunity to be represented by the brand.
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Born and bred Johannesburg, Frankie completed a film qualification at AFDA, majoring in directing and script-writing. "I started working on the Afrikaans soapie Binnelanders as an assistant floor manager, thereafter"
He adds: "After that, I spent four years travelling the country, production co-ordinating and then managing the kykNET festival show, Fiësta. I then went on to production manage the local Telenovella, Zabalaza for Urban Brew Studios, followed by a two-year stint as channel production manager of ED, a documentary channel on DSTV."
He also had the opportunity to work on a couple of small scale documentaries, which is where he developed a passion for pricing and directing.
"More recently I worked at Oxyg3n Media and was involved with some international shows as a content producer and director, including SOS with Ben Fogle, Wine, Dine & Stein and Rugby Explorer."
Growing up with parents in the industry, Frankie has had first hand experience on TV sets and was exposed to the pitfalls of working as an actor from a young age.
He said that he always thought he wouldn't work in the industry, and instead wanted to become a veterinarian.
Frankie has never worked on a professional production with his parents before and would love to one-day collaborate with his parents.
For now, arm wrestling matches will have to do, while they look for a suitable project! "He's getting old - he is a grandfather after all - so I'd probably smash him," he laughs.
"This changed late in high school when I was given a small DV camera and started filming silly home videos and pranks with my friends," he says.
Bit by the film bug soon after that, Frankie, registered at AFDA after high school.
A lover and consumer of all forms of media, Frankie's favourite movie is Raiders of the Lost Ark, and his most beloved TV series is Breaking Bad.
And when he isn't being transported to new and beautiful places through film and TV, he loves travelling the world with his wife.
"We click and know how to travel together. We go with the flow!"
When on South African soil, Frankie lives in Melville, Johannesburg with his wife Debré, son (Frank Jr.), cat (Macavity) and dog (Yoko).
Compiled by: Graye Morkel
