Kenneth De Abrew

Kenneth De Abrew is a Sri Lankan born stage, film, and TV actor. De Abrew is known for his roles in WeCrashed (2022), New Amsterdam (2018) and Atlanta (2016). He appeared in a number of award-winning television shows, including Jessica Jones, Orange is the New Black, The Detour and the 2020 film, Mulan.
==Early life and education==
De Abrew grew up in Sri Lanka where he attended Trinity College Kandy. English being the second language in Sri Lanka he was encouraged by his mother to take up acting as a way to become a more confident speaker. He acted in a number of one act plays and eventually represented Trinity College at the All Island Shakespeare Drama Competition organised by the YMCA Sri Lanka.
Upon migrating to the United States De Abrew completed a Bachelor of Arts (BA) at the Ohio Wesleyan University where he majored in Theatre and Zoology (Genetics Sequence).
Some notable productions De Abrew acted in at Ohio Wesleyan include The Tempest, Camelot, Boy Gets Girl, Importance of Being Ernest, Miracle Worker, and Full Circle. As encouraged by the OWU Theatre Kenneth spent time directing a few student productions as well as gained hands on experience in technical theatre such as lighting, sound engineering and run crew.
To gain further acting experience in De Abrew completed a Master in Fine Arts (MFA) at the Louisiana State University. 
Some notable productions De Abrew acted at Ohio Wesleyan included Miser, Scapino!, 365 days/365 plays (Week 46), Merchant of Venice and the Last Days of Judas Iscariot which became his thesis project.
LSU MFA program is closely associated with Swine Palace a premier professional Theatre in Louisiana. At the Swine Palace De Abrew acted in several productions including Hair, Love's Labour's Lost, Speak Truth to Power and Cocktail a World Premier in collaboration with Ping Chong and Company.
At LSU he also taught acting in the Undergraduate BFA program.
==Career==
Initial days of his career De Abrew travelled across US to work in regional theaters. He also spent a semester teaching all the acting classes at the North Carolina Wesleyan University Theatre program before moving to the New York City metro area.
He currently based in the US East Coast and is a member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA. Some of his recent credits are listed below.
===Television===
Atlanta, Jessica Jones, New Amsterdam, Girls5Eva,WeCrashed, Helpsters, The Detour, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Orange is the New Black, Gotham and Law & Order SVU.
===Feature films===
This is Where I Leave You, Submission Someone Great, 4th Man Out Supporting and Mulan. 
===Short films===
How Do You T Y P E a Broken Heart?, The Book of Ned, Eighth Day and Jump Cut.
===Off-Broadway===
Fuente Ovejuna (Theatre for a New Audience), Measure for Measure (Theatre for a New Audience) and As You Like it (Baruch PAC).
===Regional theatre===
Petrol Station (The Kennedy Center), Guards at the Taj (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company), Indian Ink (American Conservatory Theater), A Christmas Carol (Hartford Stage, Hanover Theatre and The McCarter), Romeo & Juliet (North Carolina Shakespeare), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tennessee Shakespeare and West LA Shakespeare), Macbeth (NCWC Theatre), Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Raleigh Ensemble Players), Children of Eden (NCWC Theatre), Much Ado about Nothing (Burning Coal/Santa Monica Shakespeare).
Category:Sri Lankan people
Category:Films
Category:Television actors