Jimi Bani is an Indigenous Australian actor, known for his portrayal of land rights activist Eddie Mabo in the 2012 tele-movie Mabo, several television series, and theatre performances.
Jimi Bani | |
|---|---|
| Born | Australia |
| Occupation | Stage and television actor |
| Years active | 2006 – present |
A Torres Strait Islander (Mabuiag Island) of the Wadagadum people, where his father was a tribal chief,[1] he attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.[2][3]
Bani's first role was in the 2006 mini-series, RAN: Remote Area Nurse, that aired on SBS One.[citation needed]
In 2012, he appeared on ABC1's series, The Straits and on the tele-movie Mabo,[2][4] both of which were nominated for awards. Bani appeared in Redfern Now, a six-part series produced by Blackfella Films that went to air on ABC1 in late 2012.[citation needed]
From late 2013 through 2014 Bani performed in The Shadow King for which he received a Helpmann Awards nomination.[5] The play was produced by the Malthouse Theatre in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals – Adelaide Festival, Brisbane Festival, Melbourne Festival, Perth International Arts Festival and Sydney Festival.[6]
Bani was a member of Queensland Theatre's National Artistic Team to assist Artistic Director Sam Strong with its 2017 season.[citation needed]
In 2017 he appeared in a Queensland Theatre production entitled My Name is Jimi which he co-created with Jason Klarwein who also directed the production. The performers included members of his family in a performance which " ... whisks you away to his island for an evening of music, dance, stand-up and storytelling. Four generations of one family take the stage, as Jimi’s grandmother, mother, son and brothers help him spin yarns of totems, traditions and childhood memories".[7] The show was also performed at the Sydney Festival in 2018.[8]
In early 2022 Bani played George in a State Theatre Company South Australia production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, to acclaim by critics.[9][10]
| Year | Title | Role | Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | RAN: Remote Area Nurse (Mini-Series) | Solomon Gaibui | 2007 | Beautiful Music (Video Short) | |
| 2012 | THe Straits (Series) | Marou Montebello | 2012 | Mabo (Movie) | Koiki Eddie Mabo |
| 2012 (1 Ep.) | Redfern Now. (Series) | Peter Gibson | 2012 | The People Speak Australia (Movie documentary) | Priscilla Conway |
| 2015 (2 Ep.) | Ready for This (Series) | Nat Brockman | 2016 (Ep. 2.3, 2.6) | Black Comedy (Series) | Guest Cast |
| Year | Title | Venue | Year | Title | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 (9-23 Feb) | Jandamarra (Black Swan Theatre Company) | Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre | 2008 (9 May-6 Jun) | Romeo and Juliet (Sydney Theatre Company) | Wharf 2 |
| 2008 (13 Sep-16 Nov) | Yibiyung | (Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills) (Beckett Theatre, Southbank) | 2010 (23 Jan -14 Mar) | The Sapphires (Black Swan/Company B Belvoir) | Playhouse Theatre, Perth; Scott Theatre, Adelaide |
| 2010 (26 May-25 Jun) | The Sapphires (Black Swan/Company B Belvoir) | Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills, | 2011 (12-13 Aug) | Krakouer! | Clocktower Centre, Moonee Ponds |
| 2013 (5 Jan-10 Feb) | Peter Pan (Belvoir, Production Company) | Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills | 2013 (27 Jun-25 Jul) | The Dragon (Malthouse Theatre) | Merlyn Theatre, Southbank |
| 2013 (11-27 Oct) | The Shadow King (Malthouse Theatre) | Merlyn Theatre, Southbank | 2014 (23-26 Jan) | The Shadow King (Malthouse Theatre) | Bay 17 at Carriageworks, Eveleigh, NSW |
| 2014 (23 Feb-1 Mar) | The Shadow King (Malthouse Theatre) | Heath Ledger Theatre, Northbridge, WA | 2014 (5-8 Mar) | The Shadow King (Malthouse Theatre) | Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide |
| 2014 (19-22 Aug) | The Shadow King (Malthouse Theatre) | Darwin Amphitheatre (George's Green), | 2014 (26-27 Aug) | The Shadow King (Malthouse Theatre) | Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture, Katherine East, NT |
| 2014 (9-13 Sept) | The Shadow King (Malthouse Theatre) | Powerhouse Theatre, New Farm, QLD | 2016 (13 Oct-6 Nov) | Title and Deed (Belvoir) | Belvoir Street Downstairs Theatre, Surry Hills, NSW |
| 2017 (12-15 Jul) | My Name is Jimi (Queensland Theatre) | Centre Of Contemporary Arts, Cairns | 2017 (22 Jul-13 Aug) | My Name is Jimi (Queensland Theatre) | Bille Brown Studio, Brisbane |