05/08/2023
Oh Shucks!Leon Schuster dedicated years of his life to making people laugh. In the end, he was ‘cancelled’ for using blackface. But where is he now?
South African comedian Leon Schuster built himself a blossoming career as a comedian and prankster. His films made millions of people laugh. As the term “woke” rose to popularity, Schuster faced being “cancelled” by society after he was accused of using black face to make a profit — something he later admitted to regretting.
On 19 June 2020, South African streaming service Showmax then made the decision to remove over six of his films from the platform citing that they were racially insensitive.
Last year, the Mama Jack movie maker lost his mom and shared a series of touching posts online. But where is he now?
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LEON SCHUSTER
Leon Ernest “Schuks” Schuster, born 21 May 1951, was once one of South Africa’s most celebrated comedians. He is known for his over the top pranks and making people laugh with his bizarre on screen tactics.
The SA funny guy was born with a flair for making people laugh. He loved pranking family members and enjoyed shows like Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin and the Three Stooges.
Using his natural ability to leave people howling, he has brought South Africans movies like You Must Be Joking, Oh Schucks it’s Schuster, Mr Bones and Mama Jack.
While the movies earned him millions of rands and a sterling reputation as SA’s number one funny guy, things took a turn for Leon who was slammed for his notorious use of black face.
In 2020 the TV star had over six of his films removed from Showmax following an outcry from social media users who said the movies were “racially insensitive”.
Speaking about the controversy, Leon admitted to having “some regrets about having profited from blackface.”
WHERE IS HE NOW?
In 2022, the star’s Mr Bones 3: Son of Bones hit the cinemas and sold more than 38 000 tickets in its first week. It reportedly made R4.2 million.
Later that year the co