All about Lucian Msamati
Lucian Gabriel Wiina Msamati, is a British actor who grew up in Zimbabwe, who is widely known for playing Salladhor Saan in HBO series Game of thrones and was the first black actor to play lago at the Royal Shakespeare Company (2015)
Early Life
Lucian Gabriel Wiina Msamati, of Tanzanian descent, was born in the UK on the 5th of March 1976. Via the Middle East (yes…it’s true) and Tanzania, the Msamati clan (or at least this particular branch of it) settled, for the next decade or so, in Zimbabwe in 1984. When it came time to up and leave again, Wiina stayed on to complete his A Level exams at the prestigious Prince Edward High School in Harare. He has been a bit of a nomadic soul ever since, calling many places ‘home.’- though Zimbabwe ‘the land in which I became a man’ (oh, how romantic!) shares high honours with Tanzania ‘The land of my blood and my heritage’. There is also a little bit of Malawi ‘because that’s where my parent’s and younger siblings are’ and a bit of England ‘because it says so on my passport; and that’s where Liverpool Football Club is’
High school would see the fruition of his passion for performance. It was here that he met future fellow ‘edgers’ Craig and Gavin Peter, Zane E. Lucas and the late Shaheen Jassat. In early 1995, Wiina was accepted into the University of Zimbabwe to read a joint Honours Degree in French and Portuguese.
Career
It was at this university that Lucian and his friends created the Edge Theatre Company was born. Early highlights include the lead role in Macbeth (1995), John Hale in The Crucible (1996) and what many considered Over the Edge’s breakout hit: the Zimbabwean version of The Complete Works of Shakespeare abridged (1997). This was the first time on record that a professional company from Africa had performed this piece.
It is in Over the Edge’s original work, their creative root, where Lucian finds voice for his other passion: writing. Highlights, as co-writer or head writer include: Born African (2001-); Eternal Peace Asylum (1999); The Anti-panto and The Anti-panto 0.5.
Lucian has also written and produced for radio. He annoyed and amused radio listeners in Zimbabwe with the anarchic, Café Radio (1999-2001) and was a guest presenter on several other well-known radio shows. In 2003 Lucian had the honour of being named head adjudicator for the BBC African Playwright’s Season.
Screen credits include Lumumba (1999) directed by Raoul Peck; Heads & Tales by Heeten Bhagat (2002); Dr. Juju (2000) and Legend of the Sky Kingdom (voice only; 2002) both by Roger Hawkins.
Recent stage credits include Twelfth Night (2000-01) for which he earned a ‘Best Actor’ nomination at the 2000 Edinburgh Festival Fringe; Taming of the Shrew (2002-2003) also as director; Robinson learnt Tanzen (2002) at the Winterhude fahrhaus in Hamburg, Germany (Yes; in German!)
Lucian appeared in Sir Antony Sher’s first penned stage play, ID (2003) at the prestigious Almeida Theatre in London. He is also set to appear at The National Theatre in Eugene O’Neill’s Mourning becomes Electra starring Helen Mirren.
Television
In 2008 he took on his most prominent role, playing JLB Matekoni in the BBC/HBO-produced series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. He has guest starred in episodes of the BBC television series Luther, Ashes to Ashes, Doctor Who and Death in Paradise.
In 2011, Lucian landed a role on HBO’s hit series, Game of Thrones as a high notorious pirate Salladhor Saan, a mercenary pirate pledged to the late King Robert Baratheon’s brother Stannis. Debonair with a whiff of debauchery, all jerkins and billowing shirts, he prowls the screen issuing frightful declarations like: “The one true God is what’s between a woman’s legs!”