While it isn’t possible to please everyone, it is still important to try and spread as much positivity as possible, says Schalk Bezuidenhout, South African comedian. The “king of spoilers”, the man with over 30 unique jerseys in his collection and a game ranger in another life, speaks about how he broke into the comedy sphere and got to where he is today.
Comedians are required to travel to where their audience is, says Schalk Bezuidenhout (pictured above), South African comedian. So, lockdown was like a “dream come true” for a lot of comedians because they could do gigs online, he explains. PHOTO: Amy Cloete
Breaking into the comedic sphere is likened to the launching of a spaceship. It takes off and it’s loud and everything is shaking and then the whole thing feels like it is about to fall apart at any moment; then it hits zero gravity and everything is peaceful and calm. “And then it’s so beautiful from up there. And you see the bigger picture.”
This is according to Schalk Bezuidenhout, South African comedian and “household name in all households that know his name”, as stated on his website.
However, while he describes his current position as “kind of like cruising, but it’s still hard” and he is “floating, not in an aimless way, just comfortably”, he still had to break through the “atmosphere” to get there, he explains.
Becoming the ‘funny guy’
“I was very flamboyant, very camp and animated [as a child]”, says Schalk. He describes Kempton Park where he grew up, as a “big place with a small town mentality” where residents had rather conservative views.
International tours are a good opportunity and privilege, however, being on the road for extended periods of time can be challenging, says Schalk Bezuidenhout, South African comedian. PHOTO: Amy Cloete
Schalk participated in many cultural-based extramural activities and was the “typical culture kid”, according to Greta Bezuidenhout, his mother.
While he was teased and bullied in primary school, Schalk explains that the narrative changed when he got to high school because he discovered that he could use his humour to his advantage and was dubbed “the funny guy in school”, he states.
“There’s a difference between being genuinely funny and being the class clown. The class clown is more irritating because [they are] just chirping. But being the funny guy means you’re really making people laugh,” explains Schalk.
“It was lekker to be the funny guy, I loved it.”
He liked that his humour allowed him to be accepted but more than that, Schalk says that it allowed him to discover his purpose. He thought, “this is my thing, I want to make people laugh”.
It is evident that Schalk is comfortable and in his element on stage, says Greta Bezuidenhout, South African comedian, Schalk Bezuidenhout’s mother. PHOTO: Amy Cloete
[Schalk] is a true example of someone who loves and lives for his craft,” says Mica McKechnie, Schalk’s wife. “What you see is what you get, which is rare these days,” she states. Mica and Schalk met in 2017 and started dating shortly after, she says.
A rocky road
“The beautiful thing about the entertainment industry is that there’s no recipe and there are no rules. Everyone’s journey looks very different,” states Schalk.
Schalk completed an acting degree at the University of Cape Town, he explains.
“Acting was not the first option that we had in mind for further studies, but once he made up his mind [about his degree] we gave him all the support,” says Greta. “I knew that he would be successful one day as he was goal driven and very intelligent.”
Some family members were doubtful about what Schalk would do and viewed him as a “wannabe actor”, explains Greta.
During university holidays he would do some stand-up work, he explains. He had this opportunity as comics from out of town added versatility to the local line-ups, says Schalk.
“I think I was one of the very few people that walked out of graduation immediately into a position where I [was] paying my bills every month. It was important for me to do that as my thank you to [my parents], because they paid for my studies,” says Schalk.
The Covid-19 Pandemic was difficult for so many people, and a lot of comedians had to cancel shows, says Schalk Bezuidenhout, South African comedian. However, he managed to adjust his purpose of making people laugh during lockdown by making funny videos for social media, he says. PHOTO: Amy Cloete
However, while he was financially independent, the road was not easy, explains Schalk. He describes himself as a “hustler” because in the industry you are largely required to create your own opportunities, he says.
“I can [theoretically] write a play and call the Baxter [Theatre] to put it on and they can send me an invoice [for the production],” says Schalk. That’s how he does his stand up shows, he explains. However, actors do not have that much agency with their work and so he is blessed in the sense that he gets to dictate how much he does or doesn’t work, he says.
Climbing the ranks
Schalk is now in the position where he can reach out to people with new material and he will be offered a slot to test it out, he explains. However, he had to work very hard to achieve that, he says.
“I started at the very, very bottom and clawed my way up,” says Schalk. There are a lot of lessons that the industry forces you to learn, according to him. However, this adds to the experience, says Schalk.
“All the gigs that I ate shit at mean so much to me. It wasn’t easy and now I appreciate [them] so much because it just makes you feel like you deserve what you have [achieved] even more because it’s like, ‘I really went through the trenches, I didn’t have it easy’.”
South African comedian, Schalk Bezuidenhout is as funny and animated in real life as he is on stage, according to Mica McKechnie, the comedian’s wife. PHOTO: Amy Cloete
Schalk is motivated by wanting to make people laugh, according to Mica. “He is constantly inspired and wanting to get up on that stage. It is truly beautiful to witness someone do what makes them happy everyday,” she says.
Tell a joke
“If you really are looking forward to meeting your favourite comedian one day maybe don’t,” says Schalk. He explains that this is because despite their stage presence, they are bound to behave like normal people and this leaves fans disappointed.
“They’re not going to make you roll on the floor with laughter [in the brief interaction],” explains Schalk.
After a gig Schalk would sometimes sit at a table with some audience members who were still lingering. However, he explains that there are certain expectations attached to those interactions.
“In that situation, people don’t want me to be normal. They want to go and tell the story the next day about how it was even funnier at the table,” he explains. The disappointment is evident when they realise “ah, he’s normal”, says Schalk.
Despite that Schalk always tries to be friendly, he says. “I think people will appreciate [being] able to walk away from that interaction and say ‘he’s a really nice guy’,” explains Schalk.
“If people could associate me with sparking joy I’d be pretty happy,” says Schalk.