John Kani – Bio, Movies, Net Worth, and 7 Interesting Facts

Of late, John Kani has been gaining a lot of attention for voicing Rafiki in the 2019 remake of The Lion King and playing T’Chaka in Black Panther. The South African actor has been active since 1965 and apart from acting; he has thrived as a dramatist and a director.

As a playwright, his most popular works are Sizwe Banzi is Dead (1972) and The Island (1973); he co-authored both with Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona. From his early life to his career accomplishments and everything in-between, learn more about this John below.

John Kani’s Age and Background Details

Named Bonisile John Kani at birth, it was on the 30th of November 1943 that the South African actor was born. His place of birth was in New Brighton, Cape Province, South Africa and he grew up under the harsh apartheid government of the country.

He schooled at Newell High School and began his career working with various drama groups around New Brighton. 1965 was a significant year in his life as it was the year he became a part of the Serpent Players drama group which enabled his meeting with Athol Fugard.

Kani became fast friends with Fugard as they worked on several projects; including Sizwe Bansi is Dead which earned them a lot of attention. 1974 came and John embarked on an extensive tour in the United States, performing in various locations in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC. This marked the beginning of his career in the movie industry.

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His Movie and Television Roles

To the best of our knowledge, John Kani moved from the stage to the screens in 1974 when he appeared in an episode of BBC2 Playhouse and 2nd House. He portrayed George O’Brien in Play for Today (1978); Othello, John, and Willie respectively in Othello (1989), Miss Julie (1986), and “Master Harold”… and the Boys (1985) which are all TV movies.

His most recent TV roles are Mkhuseli Mthetho in iNkaba (2012) and Max Khulu in Wallander (2015). Before theses, he played Inspektor Khumalo in a 1997 German TV Movie, Kap der Rache. That’s not all; the South African actor also portrayed Dr. Vincent Maloka in an episode of Hillside (2006), Daddy Bapetsi in The N0. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (2008), and Dr. Phiri in Silent Witness, also in 2008.

Kani has been more active on the big screen; his first role was in 1978 when he played Sgt. Jess Link in The Wild Geese. In the years that followed, he portrayed various characters in movies like A Dry White Season, Saturday Night at the Palace, Killing Heat, and Marigolds in August; these were all in the 1980s. The next decade had him appear in Sarafina!, The Ghost and the Darkness, The Tichborne Claimant, and Kini and Adams.

The 2000s wasn’t a busy decade for him but things improved at the turn of the decade, having him pull off most of the film roles he’s known for: General Cominius in Coriolanus (2011), Marius in Jail Caesar (2012), T’Chaka in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Black Panther (2018). As stated earlier, he voiced Rafiki in the remake of The Lion King.

What Is the Net Worth of John Kani

There is no doubt that John Kani has enjoyed an illustrious career. In view of that, it is not surprising that a lot of people have sought to know how the attainments of his career have translated into wealth. While it wouldn’t be out of place to assume that the South African actor is doing well financially, we have been unable to authenticate the true value of his riches.

A handful of sources have quoted different figures as his net worth with some estimating that Kani’s net value is as much as $85 million. From our findings, the figure is the product of guesswork.

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Fun Fact Worth Knowing About The South African Actor

1. He wears a prosthetic eye: The actor lost his left eye after he was waylaid and beaten to a pulp by the police of the apartheid government.

2. John Kani lost more than his left eye to the struggle against apartheid: he once divulged he lost his uncle and brother to the struggle. Nonetheless, he believes the pain was worth it.

3. His son is an actor. Yeah, Atandwa Kani is John’s son and also an actor. Among other roles, he played Young T’Chaka in Black Panther.

4. John received a Tony Award in 1975 for his performance in Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island.

5. He was honored by the South African government with an Order of Ikhamanga in Silver; that was in 2016.

6. John Kani’s father was a policeman; he was dismissed for arresting two white boys in 1952.

7. The actor came from a large family which comprises 11 children and his parents. His mother was a maid and one of her kids was shot while presenting a poem at the burial of a girl killed during one of the apartheid crises.