Actor Thomas Jane was caught in the midst of real-life drama as he filmed his upcoming movie STANDER in South Africa - the camera operator shot and killed a robber on the second day of shooting.

Jane, who is engaged to actress Patricia Arquette, was in the city of Johannesburg making the film, when he came face to face with an extremely violent reality.

He says, "It's like the wild west out there. It's a great city and it's a place in flux, there's a lot of transition going on and everybody's packing (a pistol).

"Our camera operator shot and killed a man on the second day of shooting. He came home and his wife's purse was stolen and he asked where this happened and she said, 'I was out shopping and this guy stole my purse in the parking lot.'

"So he got in his car and drove out there and he was poking around behind the shopping mall when he felt a gun in his back. The guy said, 'Turn around and give me your wallet.' He said, 'I'm reaching for my wallet.' He reached in his jacket, pulled out his gun and he turned around and he shot the man between the eyes.

"He found 30 purses in the guy's car; one of them was his wife's. He got his wife's purse back and went home."

03/08/2004 21:26