John Kani
John Kani | |
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Kani in Rosebank, Johannesburg, in 2023 | |
| Born | 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 OIS OBE (born 30 August 1942) is a South African actor. He is known for portraying T'Chaka in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Black Panther (2018), Rafiki in The Lion King (2019) and Mufasa: The Lion King as well as Colonel Ulenga in the Netflix films Murder Mystery (2019) and Murder Mystery 2 (2023). Also a playwright, Kani co-wrote with Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona the 1975 anti-apartheid play Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, as well as performing in it.