John Kani
Biography
John Kani is a South African actor and playwright who started with The Serpent Players in Port Elizabeth in 1965. With Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona he co-wrote Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island in the early 1970s, and their New York run brought him and Ntshona a Tony Award in 1975. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for My Children! My Africa! and played Othello in South Africa in 1987. His first solo play, Nothing but the Truth (2002), opened at the Market Theatre; it won Fleur du Cap Awards in 2003, for his acting and as a new South African play, and he received a special Obie Award that year. On screen he played T'Chaka in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Black Panther (2018), portrayed Rafiki in The Lion King (2019) and Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), and was Colonel Ulenga in Murder Mystery (2019) and Murder Mystery 2 (2023).
83years old
Turns 84 on August 30in 321 days
- Born New Brighton
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- Also credited as Bonisile John Kani
Movie Career
- Films
- 14
- Career span
- 46 years1978 to 2024
Genres
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Early training
In 1965, Kani became a member of The Serpent Players in Port Elizabeth. The group of actors took its name from the zoo's old snake pit, where its first performance was held.
Behind the award
Kani and Winston Ntshona shared a Tony Award in 1975 for their work in Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, a play that had 159 performances, and The Island.
John Kani movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Sixteen actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
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Also two films together10 more actors
- Martin FreemanBlack Panther (2018) and Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Beyoncé KnowlesMufasa: The Lion King (2024) and The Lion King (2019)
- Adeel AkhtarMurder Mystery 2 (2023) and Murder Mystery (2019)
- Dany BoonMurder Mystery 2 (2023) and Murder Mystery (2019)
- Donald GloverMufasa: The Lion King (2024) and The Lion King (2019)
- Chadwick BosemanBlack Panther (2018) and Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Billy EichnerMufasa: The Lion King (2024) and The Lion King (2019)
- David S. LeeBlack Panther (2018) and Final Solution (2001)
- Winston NtshonaA Dry White Season (1989) and The Wild Geese (1978)
- Florence KasumbaThe Lion King (2019) and Black Panther (2018)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What John Kani's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$4.9 billion
8 of the 14 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 14 films: 8 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 2 never in cinemas; 2 figure not found.
- 8Worldwide figure
- 2US gross only
- 2Never in cinemas
- 2Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$1.7B33.6% of the total
- 2$1.3B27.3% of the total
- 3$1.2B23.3% of the total
- 4$723M14.6% of the total
- 5$39M0.8% of the total
- 6$9.9M0.2% of the total
- 7$8.6M0.2% of the total
- 8$1.1M0.0% of the total
Awards
Eight awards and honors from 1975 to 2023, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Awards | |||
| 1975 | Best Actor in a Play | Sizwe Banzi Is Dead | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2023 | Officer of the Order of the British Empire | Won | |
| 2016 | Order of Ikhamanga in Silver | Won | |
| 2005 | Olive Schreiner Prize | Won | |
| 2003 | Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards | lifetime achievement | Won |
| 2003 | Obie Award | Won | |
| Honorary doctorate | Honorary | ||
| Naledi Theatre Awards | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.