Tongayi Arnold Chirisa is a Zimbabwean actor and singer known for playing Man Friday on NBC's Crusoe television series, Father Nicholas on The Jim Gaffigan Show, Hekule on Leon Schuster's Mr. Bones 2: Back from the Past, and Cheetor in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Education Chirisa attended Lomagundi College. He also studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Live Performance at AFDA, The School for the Creative Economy.
Acting career He played the part of "Detective Trevor Davies" in the popular Zimbabwean television series Studio 263. He also appeared in numerous feature films, the most well known being Tanyaradzwa in 2004, for which he won the Best Actor for Film and Television Award. He has also featured in music videos and is a singer. He also starred in a serial radio drama Mopani Junction that was taken off air at the height of political turmoil in Zimbabwe. He has been nominated and won many NAMA Awards over the last five years. He recently played the lead in the comedy feature film Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past. He made a dramatic appearance in the mini-series Rough directed by British director, Andy Wilson, appeared in an international feature film Skin, directed by Anthony Fabian and co-starring Sam Neill, and played a lead in a local drama series Redemption for SABC 1. He played Man Friday on the NBC international television series Crusoe, based on the classic story Robinson Crusoe. He also appeared in Sleepy Hollow based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. He played Father Nicholas on The Jim Gaffigan Show (2017). He played the Maximal Cheetor in the film Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (2023)
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes2005Tanyaradzwa2008Ace of HeartsTebsane MasaShort2008ZimbabweCharles2008SkinTownship Priest2008Mr. Bones 2: Back from the PastHekule2009GargoyleThembaShort2011GeezasSammy the Mouth2013Stand ByDeeShort2014Whipping BoyOlly 'Napalm' HarrisShort2016Happiness Is a Four-letter WordThomas2017William ZimunyaShort 2020 Palm Springs Jerry Schlieffen 2020 Antebellum Eli Stokes/Professor 2022 Next Exit Father Jack 2023 Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Cheetor (voice)
Television Year Title Role Notes 2002-2004 Studio 263 Detective Trevor Davis Soap Opera 2008–2009 Crusoe Friday Main role 2009 Diamonds Oba Sewele TV film 2010 Mrs Mandela Arguing husband TV film 2010 Barack Obama's Cousin Barack Obama's Cousin TV miniseries 2011 NCIS: Los Angeles Interrogator Episode: "Betrayal" 2012 American Horror Story: Asylum Miles Episode: "Dark Cousin" 2012 H+: The Digital Series African Soldier 2 episodes 2013 Sleepy Hollow Arthur Bernard Episode: "The Sin Eater" 2013Gaffigan Father Nicholas Ngungumbane TV film 2015 Whitney Gary Houston TV film 2015–16 Father Nicholas Main role 2016 Mars Project Neil Cormack TV film 2017–2019 iZombie Justin Bell Recurring role (season 3), guest (seasons 4–5) 2018 Hawaii Five-0 Don Episode: "Kopi Wale No I Ka I'a A 'Eu No Ka Ilo" 2018 Kwame Episode: "2.5" 2020 The Good Doctor Kerryś Husband Guest (season 3 episode 11) 2021 Another Life Richard Ncube Recurring role (season 2) 2022 Women of the Movement Medgar Evers 4 episodes 2023–present Mayfair Witches Ciprien Grieve Main role
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2025 Assassin's Creed Shadows Yasuke (voice)
References
External links