From his first home in Umoja, Nairobi, Edi Gathegi has traveled across the world, influencing millions through his roles on big and little screens, embracing different roles – humble, ordinary and superpowers alike. Despite leaving Umoja young, the strong Eastlands spirit remained with him throughout his life.
Seeking higher education abroad, Edi’s father packed up the family and ferried them all the way to Albany, California. Edi was only three years old at the time. As he interacted with the children around him, he was shocked to realize that they might have been black like him, but they spoke a language that was completely foreign. Young Edi, who was fluent in Swahili and Kikuyu, found himself stumped. He resorted to silence for a while, learning by listening. That is until one day, he spoke. And out came the English of the States with its noticeable twang. Thus began his journey of overcoming obstacles.
In high school, Edi chose work over sports. But, during his final year of high school, his friends convinced him to at least try out for the basketball team. He made it onto the team, but because he lacked the prowess that his teammates had developed, the bench was always reserved for him. Ever the optimist, he didn’t let this dash his hopes. Instead, he trained daily. His hard work paid off and Edi joined the University of California, Santa Barbara basketball team. Sadly, shortly after his admission, he broke his knee putting an end to his basketball days.
The injury was debilitating and life changing and he took it hard. Whereas the future had looked bright, now it lacked clarity. Under the weight of his growing depression, Edi decided to try acting. Recalling the theater club at his high school, it seemed easy enough. When he attended his first acting class, a new joy filled his soul. It was nowhere as easy as he’d initially thought, but the art itself began to satisfy his work ethic and in time acting grew unexplored aspects of self awareness and knowledge.
Growing his skill as an actor, he drew inspiration from black actors like Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle. In an effort to level up to his role models, Edi attended The New York University Tisch School of the Arts and in 2005, he graduated from the Graduate Acting Program.
With papers from such a prestigious school, Edi was sure he’d land a role soon. Auditioning time and time again with no callbacks, or having a project fall through after he’d been accepted, became his frustrating reality though. He soon realized that being an actor in Hollywood meant getting 99 Nos for a single Yes. Nonetheless, Edi continued auditioning; no matter the character he’d be portraying, he remained hopeful that he’d land a role. His perseverance paid off in 2006 when Edi was cast as a Haitian cab-driver. He’d never imitated a foreign accent before, but that wouldn’t stop him. He set aside a week to practice with a Haitian friend and aced his first acting job. The acquired accent came in handy in the 2007 film, Gone Baby Gone, where Edi portrayed a Haitian drug lord. In 2008, he was cast as the vampire Laurent in Twilight, and he starred as Darwin in the 2011 hit, X-Men First Class. But, away from the big screen, Edi has experienced great success on television. He played Dr. Jeffery Cole on the hit TV series House. On Blacklist and Blacklist: Redemption, he had us riveted to our screens as the villainous Matias Solomon His latest television portrayal is Ronald Dacey, an unlikely tech entrepreneur on the hit show, StartUp.
Throughout these roles, Edi Gathegi maintained the upbeat, hardworking spirit he’s known for. His wit, drawing out laughter effortlessly, makes him a delight on the screen. But essentially, his is a story of learning through and through. In life, he says, “there is failure and success at every turn.”
Asante Edi, for showcasing that effervescent Kenyan spirit across the world through hit TV shows and blockbuster movies.