47 John Kani Quotes for You to Enjoy

John Kani

South African Actor

Born: Nov 30, 1942

Man Me People South Africa Time You

You found during apartheid a strange occurrence from the white folks themselves. There were those who did make a choice to speak out and stand and be counted in the army of human beings who believed in justice. And then there are those who left. John Kani

You Justice Army Strange Speak White Those Out Folks Counted Make Occurrence Were Left Did Human Human Beings Apartheid Themselves Then Choice Stand Who Beings Found Believed

Apartheid is a lie, people can work together, people can create together. John Kani

Work Together Lie People Apartheid Work Together Create

And I'm part of the generation of South Africans who feel we're lucky to be alive. John Kani

Generation Alive Part Feel South African Who Lucky

Forgiving is OK. Forgetting, never. John Kani

OK Never Forgetting Forgiving

I must concentrate all my efforts in the attainment of freedom for my people. John Kani

Freedom People Must Attainment Concentrate Efforts

Over the years, many young actors have approached me: Vusi Kunene, Sello Maake ka Ncube, and Seputla Sebogodi. They all said, 'Hey Bra John, let's do 'The Island and we want you to direct.' But somehow, my heart was not in it or I was busy with something else, so I'd say, 'ja, ja, we'll do it.' John Kani

'Captain Marvel,' whereby the steel trap is challenged, where the hero is a heroine, where the most powerful person who has the welfare of the future of the human race is a woman. What else can it be? Because that was the role of my mother when I was a kid. John Kani

Future Woman Welfare Mother Hero Heroine Else Kid Marvel Steel Powerful Most Most Powerful Because Role Person Human Where Whereby Race Trap Who Captain Human Race Challenged

I am known for always playing virtuous characters. John Kani

I Am Virtuous Characters Known Always Am Playing

My love, my passion, my everything is this continent of Africa. I have always celebrated African humanity. John Kani

Love Humanity Passion Everything Always Continent Celebrated Africa African

'iNkaba' has made me famous in the living rooms of the people of my country. It was almost like being famous all over again. People stop me in the street and shopping malls to take pictures. John Kani

Me People Shopping Made Country Living Take Almost Over Pictures Like Malls Stop Being Famous Again Being Famous Rooms Street

When I tell a story, I have to tell it honestly. John Kani

Honestly Tell Story

Any older actor knows the last great mountain to climb is to play King Lear and now, if I ever play Lear, I will have done the pre-preparation because I had to go into the play and read it over and over again. John Kani

We are sort of not at the level of entertainment that the Western world is. Everything we see on the play in the screen, we read, we take serious. We take that it speaks to me. And so wonderful to see how the Johannesburg, South African audiences will say: What does it say to me? What does it make me feel? Why am I celebrating it? John Kani

Me Entertainment Wonderful World Will Everything Say Johannesburg See Take Feel Make Read Sort Does How Am Audiences South South African Western Celebrating Western World Screen African Speaks Serious Why Play Level

We never deal with propaganda. We never deal with politics. We never deal with newspaper headlines. We deal with the harsh realities of our lives. We will only comment when there is more bread to eat, more space in which to move, time in which to open your mouth and sing. As long as these things have not happened, we do not talk about politics. John Kani

Politics Time Space Will Long Mouth Our Our Lives Harsh Eat Propaganda About More Only Never Open Headlines Talk Sing Deal Comment Move Bread Happened Which Realities Newspaper Your Lives Things

I'd read Shakespeare in school, translated into isiXhosa, and loved the stories, but I hadn't realised before I started reading the English text how powerful the language was - the great surging speeches Othello has. John Kani

'Sizwe' is the beginning of protest theatre; 'Nothing But The Truth' is post-apartheid South Africa. John Kani

Truth Truth Is Theatre South Africa Beginning Nothing Protest South Africa

Working with my friend Sir Antony Sher is truly one of the highlights of my career as an artist. John Kani

My Friend Highlights Truly Friend Sir Artist Working Career

Other theaters exist here solely to entertain the white audience and keep South Africa on a par with what's going on in the West End or Broadway. The Market concerns itself with theater of this country, for this country. John Kani

It dawned on me that theatre is a powerful weapon for change. John Kani

Me Change Theatre Weapon Dawned Powerful Powerful Weapon

When I tried to do 'Waiting for Godot, it was such a controversy. I was tired of political theatre. All I wanted to do was 'Godot.' You know what happened? We were told we had messed up and politicised a classic that has nothing to do with S.A. John Kani

Tired You Waiting Theatre Political Nothing Tried I Tried Classic Had Know Messed Messed Up Were Up Controversy Wanted Happened