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John Kani
Highest Rated: 96% Black Panther (2018)
Lowest Rated: 45% Murder Mystery 2 (2023)
Birthday: Nov 30, 1942
Birthplace: New Brighton, South Africa
South African actor and filmmaker John Kani made his big screen debut as a sergeant opposite industry veterans Richard Burton, Roger Moore, and Richard Harris in "The Wild Geese," a 1978 action flick in which a group of experienced mercenaries attempt to overthrow a dictator in the heart of Africa. Following a myriad of moderate successes in the 1980s, Kani enjoyed a bona fide hit with "Sarafina!" in 1992. Headlined by Academy Award-winner Whoopi Goldberg, the musical drama cast Kani as a school principal in his native South Africa. In 1996, director Stephen Hopkins tapped Kani to play Samuel, a native African assisting in the hunt of two deadly lions in the period thriller "The Ghost and the Darkness," starring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer. Kani's character provides the film's memorable narration. Kani made his directorial debut in 2009, an adaptation of his play "Nothing But the Truth," which is set amidst the social turmoil of post-apartheid South Africa. Kani also played the lead role in the film. The veteran actor's penchant for theater caught the eye of Academy Award-winner Ralph Fiennes, who cast Kani as General Cominius of the Roman army in his big screen mounting of "Coriolanus," based on the classic Shakespeare play.
Photos
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mufasa: The Lion King | Rafiki (Voice) | - | 2024 |
45% |
|
Murder Mystery 2 | Colonel Ulenda (Character) | - | 2023 |
No Score Yet |
|
Seal Team | Unknown (Voice) | - | 2021 |
52% |
|
The Lion King | Rafiki (Voice) | $543.6M | 2019 |
96% |
|
Black Panther | T'Chaka (Character) | $700.2M | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Suit | Mr. Maphikela (Character) | - | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | When Voices Meet | Unknown (Character) | - | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Jail Caesar | Marius (Character) | - | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Janapriyan | Unknown (Character) | - | 2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | How to Steal 2 Million | Julius Twala Snr. (Character) | - | 2011 |
92% |
|
Coriolanus | Gen. Cominius (Character) | $756.5K | 2011 |
No Score Yet |
|
White Lion | Old Gisani (Character) | - | 2010 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nothing but the Truth |
Sipho (Character), Director, Screenwriter |
- | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Bird Can't Fly | Stone (Character) | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
Final Solution | Rev. Peter Lekota (Character) | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Freedom Fighters | Rev. Peter Lekota (Character) | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Tichborne Claimant | Bogle (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Kini & Adams | Ben (Character) | - | 1997 |
50% |
|
The Ghost and the Darkness | Samuel (Character) | $38.6M | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Soweto Green | Dr. Curtis Tshabalala (Character) | - | 1996 |
60% |
|
Sarafina! | School Principal (Character) | $7.3M | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Options | Jonas (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | An African Dream | Khatana (Character) | - | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Saturday Night at the Palace | September (Character) | $3.2K | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Master Harold and the Boys | Unknown (Character) | - | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Grass Is Singing | Moses (Character) | - | 1981 |
70% |
|
The Wild Geese | Sgt. Jesse Blake (Character) | - | 1978 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
92% | 79% | What If...? | T'Chaka (Voice) | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency | Unknown (Character) | 2009 |