Jeffery Kissoon facts for kids

Jeffery Kissoon (born 4 September 1947) is a talented actor from Trinidad and Tobago. He has starred in many plays, TV shows, and movies in Britain. You might have seen him in Grange Hill or even Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

Jeffery has worked with famous directors like Peter Brook and Peter Hall. He has performed in classic plays by William Shakespeare, like Antony and Cleopatra and The Tempest. He has also played important roles like Malcolm X in The Meeting. Besides acting, Jeffery also directs plays and helps teach younger actors, writers, and directors.

Early Life and First Roles

Jeffery Kissoon was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1947. He moved to London, England, with his parents when he was a child. While attending Christopher Wren School, he joined the student drama group.

In 1970, Jeffery made his first appearance as an actor in a film called Like You, Like Me. Even though he trained to be a drama teacher, he has worked as an actor since the early 1970s.

Joining Theatre Companies

In 1972, Jeffery joined the Citizens Theatre Company in Glasgow, Scotland. For two years, he played lead roles in many plays. These included Tamburlaine by Christopher Marlowe and Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht.

During this time, he worked with director Keith Hack. Hack cast him as Tamburlaine for the 1972 Edinburgh International Festival. He also played Caliban in The Tempest for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1974.

Early TV Appearances

Jeffery had his first big TV role in 1975. He played Sam in Beryl's Lot for Yorkshire Television. After that, he appeared in shows like Z-Cars and a BBC Play for Today. From 1976 to 1977, he played Dr. Ben Vincent in seven episodes of the science-fiction series Space: 1999.

Working with Famous Directors

In 1985, Jeffery Kissoon played Karna in Peter Brook's nine-hour stage version of The Mahabharata. This huge project started in France and toured the world. It was even made into a six-hour film! This led to Jeffery working with Peter Brook many times, including in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Jeffery is a long-time actor with both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. He often works with director Sir Peter Hall.

Recent Projects

Jeffery's recent work includes TV shows like W1A (TV series) (2017) and EastEnders (2015). He also appeared in the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).

He played the main character, Burt, in the film Ham and the Piper (2013). For this role, he won the Best Lead Actor Award at the Peloponnesian International Film Festival in 2012. He also won a Best Actor award at the Eko International Film Festival in Nigeria for the same film.

In 2010, Jeffery played Mark Antony again in Antony and Cleopatra. He acted opposite Kim Cattrall as Cleopatra. He also played Julius Caesar in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Julius Caesar in 2012–13.

Directing and Mentoring

Jeffery Kissoon is also a regular theatre director. He is on the board of directors for the Shared Experience company and the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon, London. He has directed plays like Knock Down Ginger (2003) and Where the Flowers Grow (2011).

In 2016, Jeffery directed a unique version of Hamlet. It was the first time an all-Black cast and creative team performed Shakespeare's tragedy in Britain. He used an ancient African martial art form called Ka Zimba in rehearsals. This helped actors explore their characters through movement and breathing.

Radio and Television Roles

Jeffery has also had many roles in radio and television.

Radio Work

From 2008 to 2012, Jeffery Kissoon was in the BBC Radio 4 comedy show Rudy's Rare Records. He played Rudy's friend, Clifton. He also appeared in "Broken Chain," a part of Radio 4's The City Speaks in 2008. This was called the first "feature film for radio."

Television Appearances

In 2001, Jeffery joined the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He played Milton Hibbert, a friend of Patrick Trueman. He returned to EastEnders in 2015. This time, he played Judge Anthony Abego in a murder trial storyline.

He has also appeared in other popular TV shows like Holby City and Casualty.

Selected Work

Theatre Performances

Film Roles

• Carry on Up the Jungle (1970) - Nosher (uncredited)
• Hamlet (1996) - Fortinbras's Captain
• Dirty Pretty Things (2002) - Cab Controller
• The Nativity Story (2006) - Herod's Architect
• Ham and the Piper (2013) - Burt
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - Rear Admiral Guich

Television Roles