---
name: "Zakes Mokae"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/zakes-mokae"
fi1m_id: "zakes-mokae"
imdb_id: "nm0596310"
tmdb_id: 47458
wikidata_id: "Q650121"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "5 August 1934"
died: "11 September 2009"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-04T23:59:45.188279+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Zakes Mokae

## Identity

Zakes Mokae

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/zakes-mokae
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** zakes-mokae
- **IMDb ID:** nm0596310
- **TMDB ID:** 47458
- **Wikidata ID:** Q650121
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakes_Mokae, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q650121, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0596310/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/47458

Actor. Born 5 August 1934 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Died 11 September 2009.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 5 August 1934, Johannesburg, South Africa
- **Died:** 11 September 2009
- **Active:** 1987–1995
- **Also known as:** Закес Мокае
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 5: 4 acting, 1 other
- **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 70 (1), 1980s 72 (1), 1990s 66 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 66 to 60 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Action 2, Drama 2, Science Fiction 2, Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1
- **Screen time:** 9 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $490m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakes_Mokae, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q650121, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0596310/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/47458

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Outbreak*](https://film.one/film/outbreak.md) (66)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Zakes Mokae was a South African stage and screen actor. Born in Johannesburg, he began his career as a jazz saxophonist before turning to acting in the 1950s alongside playwright Athol Fugard. Their collaborations included *The Blood Knot* and *"Master Harold"...and the Boys*, the latter earning Mokae the 1982 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

He appeared in films such as *Cry Freedom* (1987) as Father Kani, *A Dry White Season* (1989), *The Serpent and the Rainbow* (1988), *Outbreak* (1995) and *Waterworld* (1995). Television credits included guest roles in *The X-Files*, *The West Wing*, *Oz* and *Monk*. Mokae moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 and the United States in 1969; he died in Las Vegas in 2009.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, nytimes.com, tvinsider.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

### Performed in (4) — the average rests on these

- *Outbreak* (1995), Fi1m 66, as Dr. Benjamin Iwabi — [page](https://film.one/film/outbreak.md)
- *Waterworld* (1995), Fi1m 61, as Priam — [page](https://film.one/film/waterworld.md)
- *A Rage in Harlem* (1991), Fi1m 71, as Big Kathy — [page](https://film.one/film/a-rage-in-harlem.md)
- *Cry Freedom* (1987), Fi1m 72, as Father Kani — [page](https://film.one/film/cry-freedom.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Darling* (1965), Fi1m 70, as Black Man at French Party (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/darling.md)

## Complete filmography (48)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Monk* (2002), series, as Tonday
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, as President Nimbala — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Krippendorf's Tribe* (1998), as Sulukim
- *Oz* (1997), series, as Kipekemie Jara — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/oz.md)
- *Vampire in Brooklyn* (1995), as Dr. Zeko
- *Waterworld* (1995), as Priam — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/waterworld.md)
- *Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child* (1995), series, as Mr. Bakoosa (voice)
- *Outbreak* (1995), as Dr. Benjamin Iwabi — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/outbreak.md)
- *Rise & Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story* (1994), as Harding
- *Slaughter of the Innocents* (1993), as Library Janitor
- *The X-Files* (1993), series, as Diabria — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *Percy & Thunder* (1993), as Pee Wee
- *Dust Devil* (1992), as Ben Mukurob
- *Body Parts* (1991), as Detective Sawchuck
- *The Doctor* (1991), as Dr. Charles Reed (uncredited)
- *A Rage in Harlem* (1991), as Big Kathy — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/a-rage-in-harlem.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Edgar Barkley — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Parker Kane* (1990), as Kid Lightning
- *Dream On* (1990), series, as U.N. Dignitary
- *Dad* (1989), as Dr. Chad
- *Gross Anatomy* (1989), as Dr. Banumbra
- *A Dry White Season* (1989), as Stanley Makhaya
- *The Serpent and the Rainbow* (1988), as Dargent Peytraud
- *Cry Freedom* (1987), as Father Kani — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/cry-freedom.md)
- *A Different World* (1987), series, as Marcus Mpepo
- *'Master Harold'... and the Boys* (1985), as Sam
- *A Caribbean Mystery* (1983), as Cap. Daventry
- *Knight Rider* (1982), series, as Tsombe Kuna
- *Roar* (1981), as Committee
- *The Island* (1980), as Wescott
- *Roots: The Next Generations* (1979), series, as African Minister
- *One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story* (1978), as Pee Wee Spencer
- *The River Niger* (1976), Actor
- *Starsky & Hutch* (1975), series, as Lord Harry
- *The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer* (1970), as Mugger (uncredited)
- *Fragment of Fear* (1970), as (uncredited)
- *Plays of Today* (1969), series, as Nguru
- *ITV Saturday Night Theatre* (1969), series, as John Smith
- *Separation* (1968), as Uncredited
- *The Comedians* (1967), as Michel
- *ITV Playhouse* (1967), series, as Gavin Lesotho
- *Jemima + Johnny* (1966), as Blind Man
- *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as Colonel Okpara
- *Darling* (1965), as Black Man at French Party (uncredited) — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/darling.md)
- *Theatre 625* (1964), series, as Shale
- *Story Parade* (1964), series, as Nathaniel
- *Dilemma* (1962), as Steven Sitole
- *Dark Africa* (1957), as Sergeant (as Zachariah Nokae)

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1993: Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1982: Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/zakes-mokae