Misplaced Pages

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.

Early life and education

A Torres Strait Islander (Mabuiag Island) of the Wadagadum people, where his father was a tribal chief, he attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

Career

Bani's first role was in the 2006 mini-series, RAN: Remote Area Nurse, that aired on SBS One.

In 2012, he appeared on ABC1's series, The Straits and on the tele-movie Mabo, 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.

From late 2013 through 2014 Bani performed in The Shadow King for which he received a Helpmann Awards nomination. 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.

Bani was a member of Queensland Theatre's National Artistic Team to assist Artistic Director Sam Strong with its 2017 season.

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". The show was also performed at the Sydney Festival in 2018.

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. Later in 2022, Bani and Jason Klarwein staged an adaptation of Othello at Queensland Theatre, set in the Torres Straits. It was originally premiered at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2021. Bani played Othello as a member of the Torres Straits Light Infantry Battalion during World War II. The production was staged in three languages; Kala Lagaw Ya, Yumplatok and English. Performing cultural songs and dances alongside Bani, were his three brothers.

Personal life

Bani is a father of five children with partner Idelia, and together they live in Cairns, Queensland. He has three brothers – Richard, Gabriel Bani and Conwell. Bani's great-grandfather was a member of the Torres Straits Light Infantry.

Awards and nominations

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

References

1. "Jimi Bani Biography". Austlit. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
2. ^ "Jimi Bani Is Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
3. Blake, Elissa (14 October 2016). "Jimi Bani is The Man in Title and Deed at Belvoir St". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
4. "Blackfella Films dramatisation of the life of land rights activist Eddie Mabo managed just 554,000 viewers on ABC1". Retrieved 6 July 2012.
5. ^ "Past nominees and winners Theatre 2014". Helpmann Awards. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
6. ^ "Jimi Bani". AusStage. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
7. "My Name is Jimi". AusStage. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
8. Sebag-Montefiore, Clarissa (11 January 2018). "My Name is Jimi review – Jimi Bani welcomes us to his tribe in rare gift of a show". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
9. Mead, Rachael (30 January 2022). "Theatre review: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". InDaily. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
10. Bleby, Peter (2 February 2022). "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". State Theatre Company of South Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
11. ^ Blake, Gabi (7 September 2022). "'Othello is truly a dream role – no gammin!' Jimi Bani takes on the role of a lifetime". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
12. Bergman, Gabi (6 September 2022). "Queensland Theatre breathes new life into Shakespeare's Othello in a new adaptation by Jimi Bani and Jason Klarwein, set in the Torres Strait during World War II". AussieTheatre.com. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
13. Bergman, Gabi (6 September 2022). "Queensland Theatre breathes new life into Shakespeare's Othello in a new adaptation by Jimi Bani and Jason Klarwein, set in the Torres Strait during World War II". AussieTheatre.com. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
14. https://creativerep.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BANI-Jimi-CV-3.pdf Archived 8 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine
15. "Past nominees and winners 2009". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
16. ^ "2012 Deadly Awards". Deadlys. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
17. https://creativerep.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BANI-Jimi-CV-3.pdf Archived 8 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine
18. https://creativerep.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BANI-Jimi-CV-3.pdf Archived 8 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine
19. ^ "Jimi Bana Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
20. "2013 3rd Equity Ensemble;e Awards". Equity Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
21. https://creativerep.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BANI-Jimi-CV-3.pdf Archived 8 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine
22. https://creativerep.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BANI-Jimi-CV-3.pdf Archived 8 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine
23. "Jimi Bani Filmography". IMDb. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
24. "Romeo and Juliet | STC By Brad Syke". Australian Stage. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
25. https://creativerep.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BANI-Jimi-CV-3.pdf Archived 8 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine

• Living people
• 21st-century Australian male actors
• Australian male stage actors
• Australian male television actors
• Indigenous Australian male actors