Zakes Mokae
Encyclopedia
Zakes Makgona Mokae was a South Africa
n-born American actor
.
, moved to Great Britain in 1961, and to the United States in 1969. He turned to acting at the same time as playwright Athol Fugard
was emerging. The two worked together on Fugard's first international success, The Blood Knot, from 1961, a two-hander set 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 another major international success Master Harold...and the Boys
, for which Mokae won the 1982 Tony Award
for Featured Actor in a Play. The play was filmed for television in 1985 with Mokae and Matthew Broderick
. In 1993 Mokae was nominated for a second Tony Award
for Featured Actor in a Play for The Song of Jacob Zulu by Tug Yourgrau
.
His major films are split between anti-apartheid films such as A Dry White Season
, Cry Freedom
and A World of Strangers, and cult horror films such as Dust Devil
, The Serpent and the Rainbow and Vampire In Brooklyn
, the latter two was directed by horror icon Wes Craven
. He also appears in character roles in many films. On television, he has been a guest actor in many series such as The West Wing, Starsky and Hutch
, Danger Man
, The X-Files
, Oz
, Monk and Knight 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 a stroke
on 11 September 2009 in Las Vegas. Mokae had been ill for some time.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n-born American actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Life and career
Mokae was born in Johannesburg, South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, moved to Great Britain in 1961, and to the United States in 1969. He turned to acting at the same time as playwright Athol Fugard
Athol Fugard
Athol Fugard is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director who writes in English, best known for his political plays opposing the South African system of apartheid and for the 2005 Academy-Award winning film of his novel Tsotsi, directed by Gavin Hood...
was emerging. The two worked together on Fugard's first international success, The Blood Knot, from 1961, a two-hander set 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 another major international success Master Harold...and the Boys
Master Harold...and the Boys
Master Harold...and the boys is a play by Athol Fugard. It was first produced at the Yale Repertory Theatre in early 1982 and made its premiere on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on 4 May where it ran for 344 performances...
, for which Mokae won the 1982 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Featured Actor in a Play. The play was filmed for television in 1985 with Mokae and Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
. In 1993 Mokae was nominated for a second Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Featured Actor in a Play for The Song of Jacob Zulu by Tug Yourgrau
Tug Yourgrau
Tuggelin Yourgrau is a playwright and TV producer. He is currently the President of Powderhouse Productions in Somerville, MA.Yourgrau was born in South Africa and moved to America at the age of 10...
.
His major films are split between anti-apartheid films such as A Dry White Season
A Dry White Season
A Dry White Season is a film released in 1989 by Davros Films and Sundance Productions and distributed by MGM. It was directed by Euzhan Palcy and produced by Paula Weinstein, Mary Selway and Tim Hampton. The screenplay was by Colin Welland and Euzhan Palcy, based upon André Brink's novel of the...
, Cry Freedom
Cry Freedom
Cry Freedom is a 1987 British drama film directed by Richard Attenborough, set in the late 1970s, during the apartheid era of South Africa. It was written from a screenplay by John Briley based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods...
and A World of Strangers, and cult horror films such as Dust Devil
Dust devil
A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind, ranging from small to large . The primary vertical motion is upward...
, The Serpent and the Rainbow and Vampire In Brooklyn
Vampire in Brooklyn
Vampire in Brooklyn is a 1995 horror comedy film directed by Wes Craven, and starring Eddie Murphy and Angela Bassett. Allen Payne, Kadeem Hardison, John Witherspoon, Zakes Mokae, and Joanna Cassidy co-star. Eddie Murphy wrote the film's script, along with Vernon Lynch and older brother Charles Q....
, the latter two was directed by horror icon Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
. He also appears in character roles in many films. On television, he has been a guest actor in many series such as The West Wing, Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
, Danger Man
Danger Man
Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
, The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
, Monk and Knight 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
Nevada Shakespeare Company
The Nevada Shakespeare Company is an activist theatre based in Reno, Nevada, near Nevada's border with California. It defines its mission to be to "meeting the needs of our uniquely challenging and diverse community...
. Mokae died from complications of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on 11 September 2009 in Las Vegas. Mokae had been ill for some time.