Lucian Msamati

Biography:

Tanzanian-British actor, director, producer, and writer Lucian Gabriel Wiina Msamati was born on March 5, 1976. His contributions to radio, television, film, and theater are well-known. Salladhor Saan in the HBO series Game of Thrones, J.L.B. Matekoni in the BBC/HBO adaptation of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, David Runihura in the Netflix/BBC thriller Black Earth Rising, Ed Dumani in the Sky/AMC series Gangs of London, and Cardinal Adeyemi in Conclave are just a few of his well-known film roles. In a 2015 production of Othello, Msamati became the first Black actor to play Iago at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Other noteworthy roles he has played include Arturo Ui in Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the Lyric Hammersmith in 2008, Antonio Salieri in the National Theatre’s revival of Amadeus in 2017–2018, and Toledo in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in 2016. Additionally, from 2010 to 2011, he played Kevin/Albert in Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park at the Royal Court Theatre and The Wyndhams Theatre in the West End. Msamati now sits on the board of trustees at the Donmar Warehouse and supports Lewisham Youth Theatre, WildChild, and The Actor’s Children’s Trust (ACT).