Tongayi Chirisa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tongayi Arnold Chirisa |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer, poet |
| Known for | Acting |
| Website | www.tongayichirisa.com[1] |
Tongayi Arnold Chirisa is a Zimbabwean actor and singer known for playing Man Friday on NBC's Crusoe television series, Father Nicholas on The Jim Gaffigan Show, Hekule on Leon Schuster's Mr. Bones 2: Back from the Past, and Cheetor in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Chirisa attended Lomagundi College.[2] He also studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Live Performance at AFDA, The School for the Creative Economy.[3]
He played the part of "Detective Trevor Davies" in the popular Zimbabwean television series Studio 263.[4] He also appeared in numerous feature films, the most well known being Tanyaradzwa in 2004, for which he won the Best Actor for Film and Television Award.[5][better source needed] He has also featured in music videos and is a singer. He also starred in a serial radio drama Mopani Junction that was taken off air at the height of political turmoil in Zimbabwe.[citation needed] He has been nominated and won many NAMA Awards over the last five years. He recently played the lead in the comedy feature film Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past. He made a dramatic appearance in the mini-series Rough directed by British director, Andy Wilson, appeared in an international feature film Skin, directed by Anthony Fabian and co-starring Sam Neill, and played a lead in a local drama series Redemption for SABC 1. He played Man Friday on the NBC international television series Crusoe, based on the classic story Robinson Crusoe.[6] He also appeared in Sleepy Hollow based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. He played Father Nicholas on The Jim Gaffigan Show (2017).[7] He will play Cheetor in the upcoming film Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.[8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Tanyaradzwa | ||
| 2008 | Ace of Hearts | Tebsane Masa | Short |
| 2008 | Zimbabwe | Charles | |
| 2008 | Skin | Township Priest | |
| 2008 | Mr. Bones 2: Back from the Past | Hekule | |
| 2009 | Gargoyle | Themba | Short |
| 2011 | Geezas | Sammy the Mouth | |
| 2013 | Stand By | Dee | Short |
| 2014 | Whipping Boy | Olly 'Napalm' Harris | Short |
| 2016 | Happiness Is a Four-letter Word | Thomas | |
| 2017 | The Zim | William Zimunya | Short |
| 2020 | Palm Springs | Jerry Schlieffen | |
| 2020 | Antebellum | Eli Stokes/Professor | |
| 2022 | Next Exit | Father Jack | |
| 2023 | Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | Cheetor (voice) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-2004 | Studio 263 | Detective Trevor Davis | Soap Opera |
| 2008–2009 | Crusoe | Friday | Main role |
| 2009 | Diamonds | Oba Sewele | TV film |
| 2010 | Mrs Mandela | Arguing husband | TV film |
| 2010 | Barack Obama's Cousin | Barack Obama's Cousin | TV miniseries |
| 2011 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Interrogator | Episode: "Betrayal" |
| 2012 | American Horror Story: Asylum | Miles | Episode: "Dark Cousin" |
| 2012 | H+: The Digital Series | African Soldier | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Sleepy Hollow | Arthur Bernard | Episode: "The Sin Eater" |
| 2013 | Gaffigan | Father Nicholas Ngungumbane | TV film |
| 2015 | Whitney | Gary Houston | TV film |
| 2015–16 | The Jim Gaffigan Show | Father Nicholas | Main role |
| 2016 | Mars Project | Neil Cormack | TV film |
| 2017–2019 | iZombie | Justin Bell | Recurring role (season 3), guest (seasons 4–5) |
| 2018 | Hawaii Five-0 | Don | Episode: "Kopi Wale No I Ka I'a A 'Eu No Ka Ilo" |
| 2018 | The Guest Book | Kwame | Episode: "2.5" |
| 2020 | The Good Doctor | Kerryś Husband | Guest (season 3 episode 11) |
| 2021 | Another Life | Richard Ncube | Recurring role (season 2) |
| 2022 | Women of the Movement | Medgar Evers | 4 episodes |
| TBA | Mayfair Witches | Ciprien | 8 episodes |