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Zakes Mokae

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Zakes Mokae
Mokae in 1990
Born
Zakes Makgona Mokae

(1934-08-05)5 August 1934
Johannesburg,South Africa
Died11 September 2009(2009-09-11)(aged 75)
Las Vegas,Nevada,U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1957–2002

Zakes Makgona Mokae[1](5 August 1934 – 11 September 2009) was aSouth Africanstage and screen actor. He was well-known for his work with playwrightAthol Fugard,notably inThe Blood Knotand"Master Harold"...and the Boys,the latter earning him aTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Biography

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Mokae was born inJohannesburg,South Africa,moved to the United Kingdom in 1961, and to the United States in 1969.[2]

Originally ajazz saxophonistinTrevor Huddleston's band,[3]he turned to acting at the same time as playwrightAthol Fugardwas emerging. The two worked together on Fugard's play,The Blood Knot,from 1961, atwo-handerset in South Africa about brothers with the same mother but different fathers; Zach (played by Mokae) is dark skinned and Morris (played by Fugard) is fair skinned. Later Mokae worked with Fugard on the play"Master Harold"...and the Boys,for which Mokae won the 1982Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.The play was filmed for television in 1985 with Mokae andMatthew Broderick.In 1993 Mokae was nominated for a second Tony Award for Featured Actor in a Play forThe Song of Jacob ZulubyTug Yourgrau.

His early film roles includedDarling(1965) as a guest at a wild party, andThe Comedians(1967) starringRichard BurtonandElizabeth Taylor.His major films are split between anti-apartheid films such asCry Freedom(1987) andA Dry White Season(1989), and cult horror films such asThe Island(1980),Dust Devil(1993),The Serpent and the Rainbow(1988) andVampire in Brooklyn(1995), the latter two directed by horror iconWes Craven.He also appeared in character roles in many other films includingGross Anatomy(1989),Dad(1989),A Rage in Harlem(1991),Outbreak(1995) and theKevin CostnerfilmWaterworld(1995). On television, he has been a guest actor in many series such asThe West Wing,Starsky and Hutch,Danger Man,The X-Files,Oz,Monk,A Different WorldandKnight Rider.

In 1975, American writer-filmmaker Eon Chontay Cjohnathan gave birth to Zakes Mokae's only child, Santlo (after Mokae's mother) Chontay Mokae.

In later years, Mokae worked as a theatre director for American companies including the Nevada Shakespeare Company. Mokae died from complications of astrokeon 11 September 2009 in Las Vegas.[1][4]

Partial filmography

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References

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  1. ^abBruce Weber, "Zakes Mokae, Tony-Winning Actor, Is Dead at 75",The New York Times,15 September 2009
  2. ^"Zakes Mokae Biography".filmreference.2008.Retrieved19 May2008.
  3. ^"ZAKES MOKAE (1935 – )".The Presidence - Republic of South Africa.
  4. ^[1][dead link]
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