# Jimi Bani

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

| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
| 2008 | | WA Equity Foundation | Best Newcomer | Nominated |
| 2009 | Yibiyung | Helpmann Awards | Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Nominated |
| 2012 | The Straits | Deadly Awards | Television Show of the Year (part of the ensemble) | Won |
| 2012 | The Straits | BOFA Awards | Best Actor | Won |
| 2012 | Mabo | Deadly Awards | Film of the Year (part of the ensemble) | Won |
| 2012 | Mabo | Deadly Awards | Male Actor of the Year | Won |
| 2012 | Mabo | BOFA Awards | Best Actor | Won |
| 2013 | Mabo | AACTA Awards | AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Nominated |
| 2013 | Mabo | Logie Awards | Silver Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor | Nominated |
| 2013 | Mabo | Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Telemovie or Miniseries | Nominated |
| 2014 | The Shadow King | Helpmann Award | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Nominated |
| 2017 | | National Dreamtime Awards | Best Male Actor | Nominated |

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| | A Thin Black Line | Voice | Virtual reality film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 2006 | RAN: Remote Area Nurse | Solomon Gaibui | TV miniseries |
| 2007 | Beautiful Music | | Video short |
| 2012 | The Straits | Marou Montebello | TV series |
| 2012 | Mabo | Koiki Eddie Mabo | TV movie |
| 2012 | Redfern Now | Peter Gibson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2012 | The People Speak Australia | Priscilla Conway | Film documentary |
| 2015 | Ready for This | Nat Brockman | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Black Comedy | Guest Cast | TV series, episodes 2.3, 2.6 |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Venue / Co. |
| | A Dream Play | Poet | WAAPA |
| | Three Sisters | Chebutykin | WAAPA |
| | Stories from Suburban Road | Tom | WAAPA |
| | The Winter's Tale | Florizel | WAAPA |
| | The Country Remains | Mr Sparkish | WAAPA |
| | Love & Human Remains | Robert | WAAPA |
| | UnAustralia | Mannie | WAAPA |
| 2008 | Jandamarra | Jandamarra | Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre with Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| 2008 | Romeo and Juliet | Tybalt & Friar | Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2008 | Yibiyung | Smiley | Malthouse Theatre, Belvoir |
| 2010 | The Sapphires | Jimmy | Playhouse, Perth with Black Swan State Theatre Company, Scott Theatre, Adelaide, Belvoir St Theatre |
| 2011 | Krakouer! | Jimmy | Clocktower Centre with Deckchair Theatre |
| 2013 | Peter Pan | John / Pirate / The Crocodile | Belvoir |
| 2013 | The Dragon | Lancelot | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2013 | Half and Half | Ned | Cairns Centre of Contemporary Arts with Jute Theatre Company |
| 2015 | Storm Boy | Fingerbone Bill | Wharf Theatre, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Geelong Arts Centre, Canberra Theatre, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, STCWA with STC |
| 2013-14 | The Shadow King | Edmund | Malthouse Theatre, Carriageworks, Heath Ledger Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, Darwin Amphitheatre, Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture, Brisbane Powerhouse |
| 2016 | The Shadow King | Edmund | Barbican Theatre, London with Malthouse Theatre |
| 2016 | Title and Deed | The Traveller | Belvoir St Theatre |
| 2017-18 | My Name is Jimi | Jimi | Cairns Centre of Contemporary Arts, Bille Brown Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Fairfax Studio, Sydney Festival, Playhouse, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre |
| 2018 | Hedda | Ejlert Lovborg | Bille Brown Theatre with Queensland Theatre |
| 2020 | Othello | Othello | Cairns Indigenous Art Fair & Bille Brown Theatre with Queensland Theatre |
| 2022 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | George | Dunstan Playhouse with STCSA |
| 2022 | The Return | Warrior | Malthouse Theatre |
| 2023 | Every Brilliant Thing | Narrator | STCSA |