Eugene Khumbanyiwa

Birthday: 26 December 1976, Zomba, Malawi

Eugene Wanangwa Khumbanyiwa is a Malawian, South Africa- based stage, television, film and voice actor, popularly known for playing the role of Obesandjo in the 2009 Oscar- nominated sci-fi hit 'District 9.' Khumbanyiwa was born at Cobbe Barracks Hospital in Zomba, Malawi's former capital. He has four siblings. His father is Major Stewart Khumbanyiwa, a retired soldier, and his mother Victoria (née Manda), a retired primary school teacher. He moved from Malawi to South Africa in the early 2000s and worked as an IT specialist before pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a professional actor. He started his acting career as an extra in the 2004 Oscar-nominated 'Hotel Rwanda,' starring Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo, playing one of the hotel staff members. After that he worked sporadically, appearing in TV commercials and prime-time soaps like 'Generations,' 'Scandal'and also had a role in South African independently produced hit film Jerusalema (Gangster's Paradise) before landing a role as an underground war-lord in the Peter Jackson-produced and Neill Blomkamp-directed four-times Oscar-nominated sci-fi hit 'District 9.' Upon gaining critical acclaim for his performance in District 9, he appeared in an American TV commercial for a security product. In South Africa, he continued to sporadically appear on television in popular TV shows like, ' 7 de laan,' ' Rhythm city,' ' 4 Play,' 'Laugh Out Loud,' and in independently produced South African films like: 'Paradise Stop,' 'Algiers,' 'Cry For Love,' and a number of film shorts. Khumbanyiwa does voices for both TV and radio. His voice work credits include the prestigious African Cup of Nations (AFCON2013) soccer tournament's 'hello' radio ads campaign for the City of Johannesburg. On 9th July, 2016, Khumbanyiwa was awarded an award for the Best Achiever in Entertainment at the Malawi Achievers Awards- South Africa, 2016. Johannesburg, South Africa. Hide