John Kani is a South African film and stage actor, director and playwright known for ‘’The Wild Geese’’ (1978), ‘’Killing Heat’’ (1981), ‘’A Dry White Season’’ (1989), ‘’Sarafina’’ (1992), ‘’The Ghost and The Darkness’’ (1996), ‘’Coriolanus’’ (2011), ‘’Captain America’’ (2016), ‘’ Black Panther’’ (2018), and ‘’The Lion King’’ (2019).

Born, Bonisile John Kani on 30th August, 1942 in New Brighton, Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. In 1975, Kani alongside Winston Ntshona won the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor at the 29th Tony Awards for his role in ‘’Sizwe Bansi is Dead’’ and ‘’The Island’’. In 1984, he received a Lawrence Olivier nomination for Best Actor in A New Play for his role in ‘’Master Harold and The Boys’’.

Kani is also notable for ‘’Play for Today’’ (TV series, 1978), ‘’Marigolds in August’’ (1980), ‘’Master Harold and The Boys’’ (1985), ‘’Miss Julie’’ (TV film, 1986), ‘’Saturday Night at The Palace’’ (1987), ‘’An African Dream’’ (1987), ‘’Othello’’ (TV film, 1989), ‘’‘’Options’’ (1989), ‘’The Native Who Caused All the Trouble’’ (1990), ‘’Soweto Green: This Is a ‘Tree’ Story’’ (1995), ‘’Kini & Adams’’ (1997), ‘’Kap der Rache’’ (TV film, 1997), ‘’The Tichborne Claimant’’ (1998), ‘’Final Solution’’ (2001), ‘’Hillside’’ (TV series, 2006), ‘’The Bird Can’t Fly’’ (2007), ‘’Nothing But the Truth’’ (2008), ‘’The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency’’ (TV series, 2008), ‘’Silent Witness’’ (TV series, 2008), ‘’Endgame’’ (2009), ‘’White Lion’’ (2010), ‘’Janapriyan’’ (2011), ‘’How to Steal 2 Million’’ (2011), ‘’Jail Caeser’’ (2012), ‘’iNkaba’’ (TV series, 2013), ‘’Wallander’’ (TV series, 2015), and ‘’The Suit’’ (Short film, 2016).

Kani is known on stage for ‘’Sizwe Bansi is Dead’’ (1972), ‘’The Island’’ (1973), and ‘’Statements after an Arrest Made under Immorality Act’’, all of which he co-wrote with Winston Ntshona and Athol Fugard. He is also known for ‘’My Children My Africa!’’, and ‘’The Tempest’’ (2008). Kani’s debut as a sole playwright was in ‘’Nothing but The Truth’’ which won the 2002 Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards for Best Actor and Best New Indigenous Script, both for Kani. In 2010, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 4th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA), and in 2015, he received the Special Merit Award-Lifetime Achievement Award at the 50th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards.

Kani is married to Mandi Kani. He is the father of actor, Atandwa Kani.