Tony-Winning South African Actor Winston Ntshona Dies at 76

Winston Ntshona, a Tony-winning South African actor, died on August 2 at the age of 76, according to The New York Times. Ntshona shared a joint 1975 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play with his co-star, friend and co-author, John Kani, for Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island, which they wrote with Athol Fugard.

Ntshona and Kani grew up in South Africa at a time when apartheid—a system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race—was the legal government policy. The two used their experiences to create anti-apartheid theater works like Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island. The plays were performed on Broadway simultaneously, earning the men critical acclaim and helping them continue to perform the works around the world for 30 years.

The plays were eventually staged in the playwrights' home country, causing them to be arrested for angering officials. After being released, Ntshona continued to write and act, appearing in several screen projects including Marigolds in August, Gandhi and Blood Diamond.

Ntshona is survived by his son, Lawula Ntshona.