Dr John Kani: 5 Most Interesting Facts About the Award Winning South African Actor and Renowned Playwright

• Dr John Kani has been in the acting industry for decades and Briefly News compiled some of the most interesting facts about the thespian
• The playwright and activist has played roles in stage plays and movies that are known worldwide such as Black Panther and The Lion King
• The award-winning actor's plays saw him becomes a world star but some of the plays made him the target of the apartheid police and he even lost one of his eyes when they reportedly attacked him

Dr John Kani is a world-renowned South African actor, playwright and activist. The award-winning thespian is known across the globe for writing and acting in some of the most interesting stage plays.

The veteran thespian is not only good on stage but he has also slayed roles in huge Hollywood movies. His son, Atandwa Kani is also following in his father's footsteps. Briefly News takes a look at five interesting facts about the star.

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1. Winning a Tony Award

John bagged the Tony Award for Best Actor in the 1970s after his brilliant work on both Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island. Both plays reportedly premiered in Mzansi in 1972 and 1973. He also received a Tony nomination for best play alongside his friend, late Winston Ntshona.

2. Acting in Black Panther

John portrayed the character of King T'Chaka in Black Panther in 2018. In the movie, he's the father of T'Challa, aka Black Panther, a role played by the late US star Chadwick Boseman. His son in real life, Atandwa, also appears in the Marvel franchise.

3. John's character in The Lion King

John voiced Rafiki in the live-action version of the Disney classic. According to RSC, he is the wise mandrill who presents Simba above Pride Rock at the beginning of the movie.

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4. John has a prosthetic eye

The award-winning playwright returned to Mzansi from the US after Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island productions finished their runs in America. He's father called him to invite him to his house. He was intercepted by apartheid police while on his way. During the brutal attack, he lost his eye. The star now wears a glass prosthetic.

5. First black actor to play role of Othello in Mzansi

John became the first black person to play Othello in 1987. That was seven years before the end of apartheid. He played opposite Joanna Weinburg who played the character of Desdemona. The play directed by Janet Suzman, ran at the Market Theatre. Even though it opened to rave reviews, John still received threats from the authorities who governed the country at the time.

Zakes Bantwini features John Kani in Osama music video

In other entertainment news, Briefly News previously reported that Zakes Bantwini dropped the new music video for his hit Osama and it features legendary Mzansi actor John Kani.

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The Afrotech music producer took to social media to share a clip of himself explaining the concept behind the lit music video.

The song's cinematic visuals have been on high rotation on TV stations such as Channel O and MTV Base since he released it towards the end of December last year.

Source: Briefly News