john kani is a south african actor, voice actor, playwright, and director. He gained international fame after appearing as king t'chaka in the marvel cinematic universe film 'captain america: civil war' and its sequel 'black panther'. He got his start in acting in 1965 when he became a part of an acting group called serpent players. By the 1970s, kani had begun writing plays. His most prominent works as a playwright are the tony award-winning plays 'the island' and 'sizwe banzi is dead'. He is also known for appearing on several tv programs and stage plays. In 2017, he was cast to lend his voice to rafiki in the live action remake of disney's 'the lion king,' slated for release in 2019. One of the most skilled playwrights/screenwriters in the contemporary entertainment world, kani is known to be a gentleman. His down-to-earth personality and charming demeanor never fail to impress the general public.