Giles Terera facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Giles Terera MBE
Terera in 2015
Background information
Birth name	Giles Terera
Born	(1976-12-14) 14 December 1976 (age 48) London, England
Genres	Musical theatre cabaret jazz gospel blues acoustic music folk rock
Occupation(s)	Actor filmmaker musician composer
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Years active	1999—present

Giles Terera (born 14 December 1976) is a British actor, musician, and filmmaker. He is famous for his work in theatre, especially for playing the role of Aaron Burr in the original London cast of the musical Hamilton.

His performance in Hamilton was so good that he won the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, a very important award in British theatre. Many young people also know him from the popular TV show Horrible Histories. Besides acting, he also makes films, writes music, and plays several instruments.

Early Life and Career

Giles Terera was born in London, England. He trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts to become an actor. After finishing his training in 1999, he started working at the famous National Theatre in London. There, he appeared in plays like Troilus and Cressida and Candide.

Soon after, he starred as the Ugly Duckling in the musical Honk!. This was one of his first big roles and helped start his successful career on stage.

Success in Theatre

Famous Roles in the West End

Terera has performed in many famous plays and musicals in London's West End, which is like Broadway in New York City. Some of his well-known roles include:

• Gary Coleman in the musical Avenue Q.
• Mafala Hatimbi in The Book of Mormon.
• Sammy Davis Jr. in The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas.
• Slow Drag in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, for which he learned to play the double bass.

He has also acted in many plays by Shakespeare. He played Caliban in The Tempest and the Prince of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice.

Winning an Olivier Award for Hamilton

In 2017, Terera took on the role of Aaron Burr in the London production of the hit musical Hamilton. The show was a huge success, and his performance was highly praised by audiences and critics.

For this role, he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2018. This award is one of the highest honors an actor can receive in British theatre.

Work in TV and Film

Besides his work on stage, Giles Terera has also appeared in television shows and movies. His most famous TV role was in the CBBC show Horrible Histories. He was in all five series from 2009 to 2013, playing many different funny characters.

He also made a documentary film called Muse of Fire. The film explores the plays of Shakespeare and features interviews with famous actors like Judi Dench and Ian McKellen. Terera not only directed the film but also composed the music for it.

Music and Other Projects

Terera is a talented musician who sings and plays the guitar and piano. He has written music for plays and performs his own music live. He also sang several songs for the Horrible Histories TV show.

In 2020, Terera was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This is a special honor given by the Queen for his great contributions to theatre.

Selected Acting Roles

Here are some of Giles Terera's most notable roles in theatre, film, and television.

Theatre

Film and Television

Awards and Nominations

Giles Terera has won several awards for his acting. Here are some of the most important ones.