Sahr Ngaujah

Michael Sahr Ngaujah (born September 7, 1977) is an American

Sahr Ngaujah
theater actor and director. Originally from Atlanta, he spent most of
his early career working in experimental theater in Amsterdam. He
made his breakthrough for his Tony Award-nominated
performance as Fela Kuti in the 2009 Broadway musical Fela! He
was nominated for his second Tony Award for his performance
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge! (2019). On screen,
he is best known for his roles in ABC's Last Resort (2012) and
Netflix's Luke Cage (2018).

Contents
Early life
Career
1990s–2007: Early career and Amsterdam Ngaujah in June 2012
2008–present: Broadway and screen acting Born Michael Sahr
Ngaujah
Personal life
September 7, 1977
Filmography
Atlanta, Georgia[1]
Film
Nationality American
Television
Theatre Occupation Actor · director
Video games
Podcasts
Awards and nominations
References
External links

Early life
Ngaujah was born to an African-American mother and Sierra Leonean Mende father. Raised in Atlanta,
Georgia, he began his career in theatre there with the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, through 7Stages Theatre
in Little 5 Points.[2]

Career

1990s–2007: Early career and Amsterdam

As an actor Sahr began his career at age 15. He has worked with Gerrit Timmers (Onafhankelijk Toneel,
Rotterdam), Falk Richter (Berlin Schaubühne, Berlin), Del Hamilton (7 Stages, Atlanta), Walter Chakela
(Windybrow, Johannesburg), Tim Habeger (PushPush Theater & Film (http://www.pushpushtheater.com),
Atlanta), Made n da Shade/MC (Amsterdam).

Sahr has also maintained a presence in the world of film since the late 1990s, with appearances in Passing
Glory (TNT), A Lesson Before Dying (HBO), How I Spent My Summer Vacation (Castle Way), among
other films, and more recently in The Signal (Magnolia/Pop Films, 2008), Stomp the Yard (Sony/Rainforest
Films – Jan. 2007), and Blood Done (Sign My Name, 2009 release).

Sahr began as a director under the guidance of Freddie Hendricks, working as an assistant director on FH
Y.E.A. productions, playing for audiences ranging from the Atlanta Black Arts Festival to the Tweetakt
Festival 2000 Antwerp.

During late winter 1999, Ngaujah began the writing process that led to the short story collection Refracting
(Dasarts 2004), which inspired the piece Conversations with Ice Amsterdam-BitterZoet (Dasarts 2006).
Over Het Ij Festival, Amsterdam, 2007 (Made n Da Shade/Cosmic Theater).

Since relocating to Amsterdam in 2001, Sahr has worked as a theater director and developer with
Rotterdam’s Lef and ACT Festival, and as a collaborator with Made n da Shade. He completed his studies
at Dasarts in Amsterdam 2006, under the direction of Alida Neslo and Monique Toebosch. Under the
primary influence of his work with Freddie Hendricks, as it relates to his creating of original works,
integrating music into every layer of the developmental process, together with what he gained through close
work with Made n da Shade and their extensive exploration into the weaving of interactive design
technology throughout the base fibers of their theatre, Sahr used the laboratory of Dasarts and his
encounters with Shu Lea Chang and Germaine Acogny to search for his own unique language and process,
in an effort to lay a foundation that will hopefully allow him to all ways break new ground in his personal
approach as a Maker.

Conversations with Ice is his most recent work, dealing with the question of value (who decides, who
buys), within the context of the global diamond trade, Sierra Leone’s child soldiers, and its links to the
Bling sub-culture in hip-hop. Sahr has appeared at speaking engagements at art conferences in Northern
Europe (2007–08) about the construction and development of Conversations With Ice, with invitations
pending to present this work in Sweden and Tokyo. Ngaujah continues to work with a host of inspiring
artist between Europe, Africa, and the U.S. He is actively attempting to help forge stronger links between
the artist community between Atlanta and the Netherlands through the development of an art festival called
A to the A, celebrating and exploring Global Underground Art and Culture.

2008–present: Broadway and screen acting

In November 2008, Ngaujah received the Audelco Award (or "Viv award") for his work on the Off-
Broadway musical Fela!, under the direction of Bill T. Jones, which explores the life and inspiration of the
Nigerian composer Fela Anikulapo Kuti.[3] He also received a Tony Award nomination and a Laurence
Olivier Award nomination for his role in this musical.[4][5] In December 2008 Fela! The Musical was
classified as the #1 theatre show of 2008 in New York, by New York magazine.[6]

In July 2017, Ngaujah lent his voice to the video game Overwatch's hero Doomfist.[7][8]

In Summer 2018 he appeared in the stage musical Moulin Rouge! as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Moulin
Rouge! was scheduled to begin preview performances on June 27, 2018, at the Emerson Colonial Theatre
in Boston.[9]
Personal life
For much of the 2000s, he was based in Amsterdam, Netherlands (and briefly London).[2]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes

1997 First Time Felon Smiling Inmate Television film
1997 How I Spent My Summer Vacation D'Angelo
1999 Passing Glory Lil' Ricky Television film
1999 A Lesson Before Dying Brother Television film
2002 Big Ain't Bad Clay
2005 Shi cha qi xiao shi Orintheus
2007 Stomp the Yard Harold
2007 The Signal Rod
2009 The Jailhouse Cash
2010 Blood Done Sign My Name Boo Chavis
2011 National Theatre Live: Fela! Fela Kuti Live broadcast
2015 Freeheld Father John
2016 Farewell Meu Armor Walter Short film
2016 Money Monster Yao Appiah COO
2017 Patti Cake$ O-Z
2017 Kensho at the Bedfellow Mosi
2018 Vox Lux

Television
 Year Title Role Notes
2007–2010 House of Payne Blue 3 episodes
2012–2013 Last Resort Julian Serrat 13 episodes
2014–2015 The Blacklist General Yaabari 2 episodes
2015 The Good Wife Joel Becquet Episode: "Restraint"
2016 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Father Akintola 2 episodes
2018 High Maintenance Solomon Episode: "#goalz"
2018 Deception Oliver Scott Episode: "Code Act"
2018 Luke Cage Anansi 8 episodes
2019 Bull ADA Carter Episode: "Separate Together"
2020 The Accidental Wolf 2 episodes
2021 Prodigal Son Darryl 2 episodes

Theatre

Selected credits (2008 on).

 Year Title Role Venue Notes
37 Arts Theatre: Off-
July – October 2008 Broadway
Eugene O'Neill Theatre:
October 2009 – October Broadway
2008– Fela Anikulapo- 2010
Fela!
2012 Kuti World Tour:
September 2011 – US/Canada
August 2012
Al Hirschfeld Theatre: Broadway
July – August 2012 return
Pershing Square
The Painted Rocks at Revolver Off-
2015 Jonathon Signature Center:
Creek Broadway
April – June 2015
Pershing Square
Signature Plays: Drowning / Roe / Patrice Off-
2016 Signature Center:
Funnyhouse of a Negro Lumumba Broadway
May – June 2016
Pershing Square
Signature Center: Off-
2016 "Master Harold"... and the boys Willie
October – December Broadway
2016
The Public Theater: Off-
2018 Mlima's Tale
March – May 2018 Broadway
Emerson Colonial
Theatre: Regional
2018– Henri de Toulouse- July – August 2018
Moulin Rouge!
present Lautrec Al Hirschfeld Theatre:
June 2019 – March 2020 Broadway
September 2021 –
Alice Griffin Jewel Box
Off-
2019 Boesman and Lena Boesman Theatre:
Broadway
March – February 2019

Video games

Year Title Role Notes

2016 Overwatch Doomfist

Podcasts

Year Title Role Notes

2021 Tomorrow's Monsters David Trusedale Episode: "It's Not The Fall That Kills You"

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
2009
Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actor Nominated
Obie Award Performance Fela! Won
Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Nominated
2010
Theatre World Award Honoree
2011 Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor in a Musical Nominated
2018 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
Mlima’s Tale
2019 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Nominated
Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated
2020 Moulin Rouge!
Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Nominated

References
1. "Sahr Ngaujah – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB" (https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/s
ahr-ngaujah-483864). www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
2. Rohter, Larry (2010-05-12). "From Atlanta to Europe to 'Fela!' " (https://www.nytimes.com/201
0/05/16/theater/theaterspecial/16sahr.html). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 (https://
www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 2021-08-02.
3. Green, Jesse (23 August 2009). "You Can't Stop the Afrobeat" (http://nymag.com/guides/fallp
review/2009/theater/58503/). New York magazine. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
4. Hetrick, Adam; Gans, Andrew (4 August 2012). "Fela! Ends Limited Broadway Encore
Engagement Aug. 4" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121025094951/http://www.playbill.com/
news/article/168744-Fela-Ends-Limited-Broadway-Encore-Engagement-Aug-4).
Playbill.com. Archived from the original (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/168744-Fela-E
nds-Limited-Broadway-Encore-Engagement-Aug-4) on 2012-10-25.
5. "Laurence Olivier Awards 2011: full list of nominees" (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/th
eatre/theatre-news/8308525/Laurence-Olivier-Awards-2011-full-list-of-nominees.html).
telegraph.co.uk. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
6. Rohter, Larry (12 May 2012). "From Atlanta to Europe to 'Fela!' " (https://www.nytimes.com/2
010/05/16/theater/theaterspecial/16sahr.html?pagewanted=all). The New York Times.
7. "Overwatch's Doomfist is Voiced by Veteran Actor Sahr Ngaujah" (https://pvplive.net/c/overw
atchs-doomfist-voice-actor-veteran-actor-sahr-ngaujah). PVPLive, 6 July 2017.
8. Bhimani, Anjali [@sweeetanj] (6 July 2017). "Let's welcome @sahr1Official to the
@PlayOverwatch family!" (https://twitter.com/sweeetanj/status/883118707739770880)
(Tweet) – via Twitter.
9. "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" (http://www.emersoncolonialtheatre.com/calendar/moulin-roug
e-the-musical/). emersoncolonialtheatre.com. Retrieved 2018-05-03.

External links
Sahr Ngaujah (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0628897/) at IMDb
Sahr Ngaujah (https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/483864) at the Internet Broadway
Database
 Sahr Ngaujah (http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/36607) at the Internet Off-Broadway
Database

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This page was last edited on 16 February 2022, at 05:27 (UTC).

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