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IMDbPro

Atandwa Kani

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Atandwa Kani
Atandwa Kani is a Naledi Award winning South African film and theatre actor. He is the son of celebrated South African actor and Tony Award winner John Kani. He made his international stage debut in The Tempest at the Royal Shakespeare Company where he played Ariel alongside his father (Caliban) and Sir Anthony Sher (Prospero). In 2009 he made his international television debut in the CW TV Network show Life is Wild, an American adaptation of the popular ITV drama Wild at Heart which aired in the UK from 2006 to 2012

Atandwa went on to play the young Nelson Mandela in the film Mandela: Long Walk to freedom directed by Justin Chadwick acting alongside Idris Elba (Mandela), Naomi Harris (Winnie Mandela) and Terry Pheto (Evelyn Mase)

In South Africa Kani starred in Kowethu, an SABC 1 drama and featured in international BET series The Book of Negroes where he acted alongside Cuba Gooding Jr (Sam Fraunces) and Aunjanue Ellis (Aminata Diallo)

Kani performed Sizwe Banzi is Dead in New York, directed by John Kani and did a South African tour of the show from 2015 to 2016. In 2016 he starred in a Film adaptation of Can Temba's book The Suit which won a SAFTA in 2017 for Best Short Film. The Film was part of the 19th Zanzibar International Film Festival and the Urban World Film Festival in New York.

Recently he has been seen on Mzansi Magic's hit TV Series, It's Complicated and is set appear in Marvel's comic book film Black Panther, alongside his father, playing the young King T'Challa.

He resides in New York with his wife Fikile M Kani
BornJune 6, 1984
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJune 6, 1984
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Photos29

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    Known for

    Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Martin Freeman, Michael B. Jordan, Andy Serkis, Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Daniel Kaluuya, and Letitia Wright in Black Panther (2018)
    Black Panther
    7.3
    • Young T'Chaka
    • 2018
    Idris Elba in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
    Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
    7.1
    • Nelson Mandela 16-23
    • 2013
    Amanda Holden, Stephen Tompkinson, Lucy-Jo Hudson, Rafaella Hutchinson, and Luke Ward-Wilkinson in Wild at Heart (2006)
    Wild at Heart
    7.4
    TV Series
    • Thabo
    Life Is Wild (2007)
    Life Is Wild
    6.6
    TV Series
    • Tumelo

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Tech Bae
      • Xola 'X'
      • Released
      • TV Series
      • 2018
    • Diamond in the dirt
      • Mhala
      • Pre-production



    • What If...? (2021)
      What If...?
      7.3
      TV Series
      • King T'Chaka
      • Black Panther
      • Young T'Chaka
      • 2021–2023
    • Chronicles of a BLEEP Year Old Woman (2021)
      Chronicles of a BLEEP Year Old Woman
      TV Mini Series
      • Mthokozisi
      • 2021
    • Choices
      • Kenneth
      • 2020
    • Mercury Afrograde (2020)
      Mercury Afrograde
      Short
      • John
      • 2020
    • E. Roger Mitchell, Michael O'Leary, Jerry LaMothe, Julito McCullum, Major Dodge, Mara Hall, Josh Ventura, Brittany L. Smith, Deborah Joy Winans, Jaylon Gordon, B. Simone, Isaac Gooden, Kennedy Chanel, and Jay Jones in Terror Lake Drive (2020)
      Terror Lake Drive
      5.3
      TV Mini Series
      • Professor
      • 2020
    • Fikile Mthwalo and Atandwa Kani in Nowhere (2019)
      Nowhere
      Short
      • Lennon
      • 2019
    • Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Martin Freeman, Michael B. Jordan, Andy Serkis, Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Daniel Kaluuya, and Letitia Wright in Black Panther (2018)
      Black Panther
      7.3
      • Young T'Chaka
      • 2018
    • Atandwa Kani and Altovise Lawrence in Love by Chance (2017)
      Love by Chance
      6.8
      • Chance
      • 2017
    • The Suit (2016)
      The Suit
      8.5
      Short
      • Philemon
      • 2016
    • Fikile Mthwalo in It's Complicated (2015)
      It's Complicated
      8.5
      TV Series
      • 2015–2016
    • Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in The Book of Negroes (2015)
      The Book of Negroes
      7.8
      TV Mini Series
      • New York Jail Guard
      • 2015
    • Kowethu
      TV Series
      • Sibu
      • 2014–2015
    • Idris Elba in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
      Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
      7.1
      • Nelson Mandela 16-23
      • 2013
    • Tooth and Nails: A Gospel Music Story (2012)
      Tooth and Nails: A Gospel Music Story
      9.4
      TV Movie
      • Lungi
      • 2012
    • Amanda Holden, Stephen Tompkinson, Lucy-Jo Hudson, Rafaella Hutchinson, and Luke Ward-Wilkinson in Wild at Heart (2006)
      Wild at Heart
      7.4
      TV Series
      • Thabo
      • 2010–2012

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official site
      • Instagram
    • Height
      • 6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
    • Born
      • June 6, 1984
    • Spouse
      • Fikile M KaniDecember 24, 2016 - present

    Self-verified on IMDbPro

    • Gender / Gender identity
      • Male
    • Pronouns
      • he/him
    • Sexual orientation
      • Straight
    • Race / Ethnicity
      • Black / African American
    • Nationality / Religious or Ethnic identity
      • South African

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      He is the son of Tony Award winner John Kani.
    • Nickname
      • Prince of Theatre

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