John Kani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Kani
OIS OBE
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Kani in Rosebank, Johannesburg, in 2023
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Bonisile John Kani
30 August 1942 New Brighton, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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| Years active | 1965–present |
| Known for | Sizwe Banzi is Dead; The Island |
| Children | Atandwa Kani |
| Awards | Tony Award (1975); Obie Award (2003); SAFTA Lifetime award (2010) |
| Honours | Order of Ikhamanga in Silver |
Bonisile John Kani is a famous South African actor, author, and director. He was born on August 30, 1942. He is well-known for playing T'Chaka in the Marvel movies Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Black Panther (2018). He also voiced Rafiki in The Lion King (2019) and Mufasa: The Lion King.
John Kani also wrote plays that helped fight against apartheid. Apartheid was a system in South Africa that separated people based on their race. One of his most famous plays is Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, which he wrote with Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona in 1975.
Contents
Early Life and Family
John Kani was born in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. In 1975, after performing in the play Sizwe Banzi Is Dead in the United States, he returned home. Sadly, he was seriously injured in an incident, and he lost his left eye. He now wears a special glass eye.
John Kani's son, Atandwa Kani, is also an actor. Atandwa played a younger version of John Kani's character, T'Chaka, in the movie Black Panther.
Amazing Career in Theatre and Film
Starting in Theatre
John Kani began his acting journey in 1965. He joined a group called The Serpent Players in Port Elizabeth. They created many plays that were performed to large audiences.
Later, he co-wrote two very famous plays, Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island, with Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona. These plays were important because they spoke out against apartheid.
International Success
Kani's plays have been performed all over the world, including New York. In 1975, he and Winston Ntshona won a Tony Award for their work in Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island. This was a huge achievement!
In 1987, Kani played the main character, Othello, in William Shakespeare's play Othello in South Africa. This was during the time of apartheid.
Writing His Own Plays
In 2002, Kani wrote his first play by himself, called Nothing but the Truth. This play was about South Africa after apartheid ended. It explored the differences between black people who stayed and fought apartheid and those who left and later returned. The play won awards for best actor and best new South African play in 2003.
Becoming a Marvel Star
John Kani became even more famous when he joined the Marvel Studios movies. He played T'Chaka in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Black Panther (2018). Because Kani speaks Xhosa, the language of Wakanda in the movies became Xhosa. Chadwick Boseman, who played his son T'Challa, even learned Xhosa for his role!
In 2019, Kani appeared in the Netflix movie Murder Mystery. He also lent his voice to the wise character Rafiki in the live-action remake of The Lion King.
His play Kunene and the King was performed in England and South Africa in 2019.
Awards and Honours
John Kani has received many important awards for his amazing contributions to theatre and film.
- In 2010, he received a SAFTA Lifetime award.
- He also won the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation Award in 2000.
- In 2006, the University of Cape Town gave him an honorary doctorate degree.
- In 2013, he received another honorary doctorate from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
- In 2016, he was given the national honour of the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver. This award recognized his "Excellent contributions to theatre and, through this, the struggle for a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa."
- The main theatre at the Market Theatre complex in Newtown, Johannesburg, was renamed The John Kani Theatre in his honour.
- In 2020, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Witwatersrand.
- In 2023, he was awarded an Honorary OBE from the British Government for his services to drama.
Plays Written by John Kani
- Sizwe Banzi is Dead (1972) (co-written)
- The Island (1973) (co-written)
- Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act (co-written)
- Nothing But the Truth (2002) (sole playwright)
- Missing (2014) (sole playwright)
- Kunene and the King (2019) (playwright)
Film and Television Roles
John Kani has acted in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of his notable roles:
Television Roles
- Master Harold...and the Boys (1985) as Willie
- Othello (1989) as Othello
- The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2008) as Daddy Bapetsi
- What If...? (2021) as T'Chaka (Voice)
Film Roles
- The Wild Geese (1978) as Sgt. Jesse Link
- A Dry White Season (1989) as Julius
- Sarafina! (1992) as School Principal
- The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) as Samuel
- Nothing but the Truth (2008) as Sipho (also director and writer)
- Endgame (2009) as Oliver Tambo
- Coriolanus (2011) as General Cominius
- Captain America: Civil War (2016) as T'Chaka
- Black Panther (2018) as T'Chaka
- Murder Mystery (2019) as Colonel Ulenga
- The Lion King (2019) as Rafiki (Voice)
- Murder Mystery 2 (2023) as Colonel Ulenga
- Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) as Rafiki (Voice)
See also
In Spanish: John Kani para niños
