| Eugene Khumbanyiwa | |
| Native Name: | Wanangwa |
| Birth Date: | 26 December 1976 |
| Birth Place: | Zomba, Malawi |
| Alma Mater: | Universal Group of Colleges |
| Known For: | District 9, Chappie, Death Race: Inferno |
Eugene Khumbanyiwa is a Malawian[1] South Africa-based stage, television, film and voice actor, popularly known for playing the role of Obesandjo in the 2009 Oscar nominated sci-fi hit District 9.[2]
He started his acting career as an extra in the 2004 Oscar-nominated Hotel Rwanda,[3] starring Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo, playing one of the hotel staff members. After that he worked sporadically, hustling his way in the film industry by appearing in TV commercials and prime-time soaps like Generations, Scandal, and also had a role in South African independently produced hit film [4] before landing a role as an underground warlord in the Peter Jackson-produced and Neill Blomkamp-directed four-times Oscar-nominated sci-fi hit District 9[5] [6] [7] Upon gaining critical acclaim for his performance in District 9, he attracted new international attention and even appeared in an American TV commercial for a famous cyber fraud security product called 'Identity Guard.[8] '.
He went on to feature in Hollywood movies like ,[9] [10] alongside stars like Danny Trejo and Luke Goss, also appeared in Chappie[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] starring Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel and Sigourney Weaver. He teamed up with director Blomkamp again and Sigourney Weaver playing lead role Amir the saviour in a short sci-fi film called Rakka.[19] [20] [21] Khumbanyiwa has appeared in three of Hollywood director Neill Blomkamp's films.
He played Pastor Peter in a two time BAFTA-winner Damilola, Our Loved Boy,[22] a British television film about the events surrounding the 27 November 2000 death of Damilola Taylor. The film aired on BBC One on 7 November 2016, and was written by Levi David Addai, directed by Euros Lyn, and starred Babou Ceesay and Wunmi Mosaku. He also appeared in the critically acclaimed US TV miniseries The Looming Tower,[3] directed by Alex Gibney which premiered on Hulu on February 28, 2018, starring Jeff Daniels and Peter Sarsgaard, based on Lawrence Wright's 2006 book of the same name. He played a Kenyan security guard at the US Embassy in Nairobi who survived the embassy bombing and became a crucial witness.
He has over 25 screen acting credits to his name. He does voices for both TV and radio. His voice work credits include the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON2013) soccer tournament's "hello" radio ads campaign for the City of Johannesburg.
On 9 July 2016, Khumbanyiwa was awarded the Best Achiever in Entertainment at the Malawi Achievers Awards- South Africa.
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Hotel Rwanda | Hotel staff (uncredited) | |
| 2008 | Drug Dealer | ||
| 2009 | District 9 | Obesandjo | |
| 2009 | Crime Safari | Subre | |
| 2011 | Paradise Stop | Malawian trucker | |
| 2013 | Nero | ||
| 2013 | Algiers Murders | Ferdinand | |
| 2014 | Arms Cache Manager | ||
| 2015 | Chappie | King | |
| 2017 | Harry's Game | Moggomo | |
| 2017 | Rakka | Amir | |
| 2018 | The Roar | Poacher | |
| 2018 | Beautifully Broken | Augustine |
| Year | Title | Role | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Scandal | Motor Examiner | Etv |
| 2006 | Generations | Henchman | SABC1 |
| 2009 | 7de Laan | Derin | SABC2 |
| 2010 | 4Play: Sex Tips for Girls | Moeke | Etv |
| 2011 | Laugh Out Loud | Prince | Mzansi Magic |
| 2011 | Rhythm City | Carlos | Etv |
| 2014 | Muvhango | Kanu Nkosi | SABC2 |
| 2015 | Getroud met rugby | Troy | KykNET TV |
| 2016 | Damilola, Our Loved Boy | Pastor Peter | BBC One |
| 2016 | 90 Plein Street | Kenyan Ambassador | SABC 2 |
| 2017 | Ses'Top La | Akina Nix | SABC1 |
| 2017 | Lockdown | Jones | Mzansi Magic |
| 2018 | The Looming Tower | Trenton Okuru | Hulu (USA) |