Patrick Shai

Personal life

During a protest in Dobsonville due to electricity cuts, he was wounded by 11 rubber bullets and rushed to Tshepo Themba Hospital. He was shot in the neck, back, leg, and arms. After the incident, he opened a complaint against police with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) for the brutal activity of the police.

Shai was married to Mmasechaba Shai, and together they had two children.

Career

He started career as a dancer at Safari Ranch with Mzumba African Drama and Ballet. In 1994, he joined with the cast of drama serial Soul City, for which he won the Avanti Trophy for Best Actor at the NTVA Avanti Awards in 2000. In 1995, he wrote and acted in the film Hearts & Minds by playing the role "Mathews Kage". He later won the Silver Dolphin Award for Best Screenplay at the Festróia - Tróia International Film Festival. In 1996, he also played the role of "Christmas" in the 1996 BBC mini-series Rhodes.

For his role as "Enoch Molope" in the 2004 television serial Zero Tolerance, he was nominated for the SAFTA Golden Horn Award for Best Actor in TV Drama category at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA). In 2005, he joined with the SABC2 mini-series Noah's Arc and nominated for the SAFTA Golden Horn for Best Actor at 2010 SAFTA. In 2008, he acted in the SABC2 sitcom Moferefere Lenyalon and played the lead role of "Kgosi Matlakala". After that, in 2010, he played the role "Bra Sporo" in the SABC2 drama series Hola Mpinji and as "Tiger Sibiya" for the third season of the SABC1 drama series Zone 14. At the 2014 SAFTA, he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in the serial Skeem Saam. In 2017, Shai joined with the cast of popular SABC2 soap opera 7de Laan and played the role "Jacob Moloi". For his role, he was again nominated for the SAFTA Golden Horn Award for Best Supporting Actor at the SAFTA 2018.

Filmography

Year Film Role Genre Ref. 1986 A Place for Weeping Lucky Film 1988 Red Scorpion African Soldier Film 1988 Blind Justice Samson Snhlova Film 1988 Diamond in the Rough Connors' Thug Film 1990 The Last Samurai Wild man Film 1990 Screenplay Joseph Mnwana TV series 1990 Schweitzer Joseph Film 1991 The Sheltering Desert Constable Film 1991 Taxi to Soweto Richard Film 1994 MMG Engineers Ray Ghanya TV series 1995 Hearts & Minds Mathews Kage, Writer Film 1995 Cry, the Beloved Country Robert Ndela Film 1995 Mission Top Secret Thabo TV series 1996 Danger Zone Madumo Film 1996 Inside Bhambo TV movie 1996 Rhodes Christmas TV mini series 1996 Stray Bullet Director TV movie 1996 La ferme du crocodile Ibrahim TV movie 1997 Fools Zamani Film 1997 The Principal Ben Moloi TV mini series 1997 The Place of Lions Bruno TV movie 1999 Yizo yizo Edwin Thapelo TV series 2000 The Gates of Cleveland Road Joe Mabaso, Co-producer TV movie 2000 Generations Patrick Tlaole TV series 2002 Behind the Badge Carlos Gwala TV series 2003 The Bone Snatcher Titus Film 2004 Zero Tolerance Enoch Molope TV series 2004 Critical Assignment Charles Ojuka Film 2004 Zulu Love Letter Khubeka Film 2006 Hillside Dr. Kagiso Montshiwa TV series 2007 Life Is Wild Umkhulu TV series 2008 Discreet Boss Film 2010 Hola Mpinji Bra Sporo TV mini series 2010 Life, Above All Dr. Charles Chilume Film 2010 The Bang Bang Club Pegleg Film 2012 Chandies Paddido TV series 2012 Gog' Helen Hobo Film 2016 Ashes to Ashes Selo Namanne TV series 2017 7de Laan Jacob Moloi TV series