Edi Gathegi

Born on March 10, 1979,{{cite news|last=Rose|first=Mike|title=Today's famous birthdays list for March 10, 2023 includes celebrities Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde|date=March 10, 2023|accessdate=March 10, 2023|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/03/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-march-10-2023-includes-celebrities-jon-hamm-olivia-wilde.html}} in Nairobi, Kenya, Gathegi grew up in Albany, California, U.S.{{cite magazine |author=Cassandra Handley |title=Q&A: Twilights Edi Gathegi |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/online/culture/2008/11/04/twilights-edi-gathegi.html |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=November 4, 2008 |access-date=2008-11-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081109080033/http://www.vanityfair.com/online/culture/2008/11/04/twilights-edi-gathegi.html |archive-date=2008-11-09 }} Gathegi attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he played basketball until a knee injury ended his career. Gathegi then began taking acting classes. He studied at New York University's Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 2005.{{cite web | title=NYU Graduate Acting Alumni | url=http://gradacting.tisch.nyu.edu/object/ga_alumbios.html | year=2011 | access-date=2011-12-01}} Gathegi's career began in theatre,{{cite web | title=Twilight Lexicon Q&A with Edi Gathegi | url=http://www.twilightlexicon.com/Interviews/EgiGathegiInterviewPart1.pdf | publisher=TwilightLexicon.com | date=March 10, 2008 | access-date=2008-11-06}} and his stage credits include Two Trains Running at the Old Globe Theatre, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Cyrano de Bergerac, among others.

Gathegi's first professional role was the Haitian Cabbie in the 2006 film, Crank. Though he had originally auditioned for the role of Kaylo, the producers gave the role to Efren Ramirez and instead offered Gathegi an appearance as the Haitian Cabbie. He was skeptical at first about performing a Haitian accent but was coached by a Haitian friend. In 2007, after guest-starring on Lincoln Heights and Veronica Mars, Gathegi went on to star as Bodie in Death Sentence, Darudi in The Fifth Patient, and Cheese in Gone Baby Gone. He later had a recurring role as Mormon intern Dr. Jeffrey Cole in the television medical drama House. His character was often mocked for his religious beliefs by Dr. House, who himself is an atheist. He also guest-starred in CSI: Miami, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Life on Mars in 2008 before being cast as Laurent in Twilight. When Gathegi first auditioned for the 2008 film, adapted from the same-titled first book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, he had not heard of the series and was not aware that his character was a vampire.{{cite news | author=Denise Martin | title='Twilight' Countdown: Edi Gathegi's vampire love | url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2008/10/twilight-coun-7.html | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=October 28, 2008 | access-date=2008-11-10}} He now has read the whole series and calls himself a hardcore fan.{{cite web | author=Sara Castillo | title=We Speak with 'Twilight's' Jacob and Laurent! | url=http://www.fearnet.com/news/b11191_we_speak_with_twilights_jacob_laurent.html | publisher=FearNet.com | date=August 4, 2008 | access-date=2008-11-10}}

He portrays Eddie Willers in Atlas Shrugged (2011), based on Ayn Rand's novel of the same name. He later portrayed another Haitian character, Jean Baptiste, in the fifth season of Justified, but was unhappy with the role and asked to be written off the show.{{cite magazine|last1=Bierly|first1=Mandi|title='Justified' postmortem: EP Graham Yost dissects 'Shot All to Hell'|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2014/02/05/justified-shot-all-to-hell/3|access-date=June 1, 2016|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=February 5, 2014|archive-date=March 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320032202/http://www.ew.com/article/2014/02/05/justified-shot-all-to-hell/3|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/04/justified-backlash-graham-yost|title=Justified Creator Graham Yost Vents About Critical Backlash for Season Five|website=Vanity Fair |date=17 April 2014}} He has also been a recurring character in NBC's television series, The Blacklist, as Matias Solomon, an operative for a covert organization. Gathegi reprised the role in the 2016–2017 season crime thriller, The Blacklist: Redemption. He also portrays the character Ronald Dacey on StartUp. In July 2023, Gathegi was cast as Mister Terrific in the DC Universe (DCU) film Superman (2025).{{Cite web|last=Breznican|first=Anthony|date=2023-07-11|title=Superman Legacy Cast Adds Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi and Nathan Fillion: EXCLUSIVE|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/07/superman-legacy-cast|access-date=2023-07-11|website=Vanity Fair|language=en-US}}

Gathegi married Romanian Adriana Marinescu in 2018.{{cite web|title=Actorul din Twilight s-a însurat, în secret, cu o vedetă din România|url=https://www.divahair.ro/stiri/bomba-in-lumea-filmului-actorul-din-twilight-s-a-insurat-in-secret-cu-o-vedeta-din-romania|publisher=diva.ro|date=6 June 2019|language=ro}}

Drama Desk Awards

• 2018: Won along with Sean Carvajal for last-minute entrances into the Signature Theatre Company production of Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, ensuring it had a happy real-life ending after replacing Reg E. Cathey in late September for an October 5th first previewAndrew Gans, [http://www.playbill.com/article/signatures-jesus-hopped-the-a-train-delayed-two-days-following-departure-of-reg-e-cathey "Signature’s Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train Delayed Two Days Following Departure of Reg E. Cathey"], Playbill, September 28th, 2017.{{cite web|url=http://dramadeskawards.com/2018-nominees|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420000834/http://dramadeskawards.com/2018-nominees|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 20, 2018|title=2018 Nominees|website=dramadeskawards.com}}

Obie Awards

• 2018: Won OBIE Award for his performance as Lucius Jenkins in Signature Theater Company revival of Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train {{Cite web|url=https://www.obieawards.com/2018/05/2018-obies-winners-performances/|title = 2018 Obies Winners and Performances|date = 19 May 2018}}

Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards

• 2011: Won LADCC Award for best Lead Actor in a Play for the role of Franco Wicks in the Geffen Playhouse production of Superior Donuts{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Full-LA-Drama-Critics-Circle-Award-Winners-A-RAISIN-IN-THE-SUN-Wins-4-20120320|title = Full LA Drama Critics Circle Award Winners; A RAISIN IN THE SUN Wins 4}}

Method Fest Independent Film Festival

• 2019: Won Breakout Acting Award for his method performance as Beau Willis in Princess of the Row{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/princess-row-wins-audience-award-at-method-fest-1198694|title = 'Princess of the Row' Wins Audience Award at Method Fest| website=The Hollywood Reporter |date = April 2019}}

Ovation Awards

• 2011: Nominated for Featured Actor in a Play for the role of Franco Wicks in the Geffen Playhouse production of Superior Donuts{{cite news|title=Kiss Me Kate Tops 2011 Ovation Award Nominations.|url=http://www.lastagetimes.com/2011/09/kiss-me-kate-tops-2011-ovation-award-nominations/|date=19 September 2011|access-date=9 February 2013|archive-date=20 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820063815/http://lastagetimes.com/2011/09/kiss-me-kate-tops-2011-ovation-award-nominations/|url-status=dead}}

Lucille Lortel Awards

• 2018: Nominated for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train at Signature Theatre Company{{cite web|url=http://www.lortelaward.com/2018nominees.htm|title=2018 Nominations|website=www.lortelaward.com|access-date=2018-05-02|archive-date=2019-01-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123110244/http://www.lortelaward.com/2018nominees.htm|url-status=dead}}

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Category:1979 births

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Nairobi

Category:Kenyan emigrants to the United States

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male stage actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:Kenyan male film actors

Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni

Category:People from Albany, California

Category:University of California, Santa Barbara alumni

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:Kenyan male television actors

Category:Kenyan male stage actors

Category:21st-century Kenyan male actors