Portal:African cinema/Selected biography/11

John Kani (b. 30 August, 1942) is a South African actor, playwright, and director. Kani gained international fame for his collaborations with South African playwright and novelist Athol Fugard, particularly in the anti-apartheid plays, Sizwe Banzi Is Dead (1972) and The Island (1973) for which he won a Tony Award. His filmography spans numerous film roles, including T'Chaka in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Black Panther (2018). He voiced Rafiki in The Lion King (the live action remake of the Disney animated film and is set to reprise his role as Rafiki in Mufasa: The Lion King (2024).

Kani received a South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) Life Time award in 2010 and in 2023, he was awarded an Honorary OBE from the British Government for his services to drama.