Giles Terera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giles Terera
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Terera in 2015
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| Birth name | Giles Terera |
| Born | 14 December 1976 London, England |
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| Years active | 1999—present |
Giles Terera (born 14 December 1976) is a talented British actor, musician, and filmmaker. He is well-known for his amazing work in theatre. He played Aaron Burr in the original London show of the musical Hamilton. For this role, he won a big award called the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2018. Giles also made a documentary film called Muse of Fire, which came out in 2013. He was also given an MBE, which means he is a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for his contributions to theatre.
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Giles Terera's Journey in Acting
Giles Terera learned acting at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. After finishing his training in 1999, he joined a group of actors at the National Theatre. There, he performed in plays like Troilus and Cressida and Candide. He also starred as the Ugly Duckling in the musical Honk!.
Theatre Roles and Musicals
Since then, Giles has been a regular performer in British theatre. He has appeared in many famous shows in London's National Theatre and the West End. Some of his notable roles include Death and the King's Horseman and The Tempest. He even played the famous singer Sammy Davis Jr. in The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas.
Giles also performed in popular musicals like RENT and Jailhouse Rock. He was the first actor to play Gary Coleman in the London production of Avenue Q. Later, he joined the cast of The Book of Mormon as Mafala Hatimbi.
In 2011, he played Caliban in The Tempest alongside Ralph Fiennes. He also performed at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in plays like King John and The Merchant Of Venice. In 2016, he learned to play the double bass for his role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Playing Aaron Burr in Hamilton
In December 2017, Giles took on the role of Aaron Burr in the London production of Hamilton. This was a very important role for him. His performance was highly praised. In April 2018, he won an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his work in Hamilton. This is one of the biggest awards in British theatre.
Film and TV Appearances
Besides his many stage roles, Giles Terera has also appeared in films and on television. You might know him from the CBBC show Horrible Histories. He was in all five series from 2009 to 2013, playing various funny characters. He also appeared in the BBC show Doctors and the film London Boulevard. In 2020, he was in the Channel 4 TV show Maxxx.
Filmmaking and Music
Giles is also a filmmaker. His first documentary, Muse of Fire, was made with Dan Poole. This film explores what people think about Shakespeare today. It features interviews with famous actors and filmmakers like Judi Dench and Ian McKellen. The film was shown on BBC Four in 2013.
As a musician, Giles has composed music for theatre shows. He also performs live as a solo artist. He wrote the music for his documentary Muse of Fire. You can also hear his singing in several songs for Horrible Histories.
Honors and Special Events
In 2013, Giles helped organize a series of events at the National Theatre. These events, called "Walk in the Light," celebrated the contributions of Black artists to British theatre.
Giles Terera was honored with the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2020. This award was given to him for his great work in theatre.
He also took part in London's New Year celebrations for 2022. He started the event by reading a poem about the achievements of the past year.
Awards and Recognitions
Giles Terera has won several awards for his acting and filmmaking.
- In 2007, he won a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Ensemble for his performance in Avenue Q.
- He won the KidScreen Awards for Best Acting in 2011 and 2012 for his work on Horrible Histories.
- His film Muse of Fire won the Falstaff Award for Best Film in 2014.
- In 2018, he won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. He also won the BroadwayWorld UK Award for Best Actor in a New Musical for Hamilton that same year.
- In 2022, he won the UK Theatre Awards for Best Actor for The Meaning of Zong.
- In 2023, he won the Critics Circle Theatre Awards for Best Actor for his roles in Blues For An Alabama Sky and Othello.
