Giles Terera (born 14 December 1976) is a British actor, musician, and filmmaker. He is best known for his work in the theatre, particularly in the original cast of the London production of the musical Hamilton, as Aaron Burr, for which he won the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. His first documentary, Muse of Fire, premiered in autumn 2013.

Career Giles Terera trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. After leaving Mountview in 1999, he joined an acting ensemble at the National Theatre, where he appeared in Troilus and Cressida, Candide, and The Darker Face of the Earth. He then went on to star as the Ugly Duckling in Honk!"20 Questions with Giles Terera" , Whatsonstage.com

Since then Terera has appeared consistently in British theatre, and some of his most notable appearances are in London's National Theatre and the West End. They include: Death and the King's Horseman, The Tempest, Sammy Davis Jr. in The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas, RENT, 125th Street, and Jailhouse Rock. He originated the role of Gary Coleman in the London production of Avenue Q. He also appeared as Mafala Hatimbi in The Book of Mormon.

Terera has been nominated for three awards for the Whatsonstage.com Awards. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his appearance in Jailhouse Rock, Best Takeover in a Role for The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas as Sammy Davis Jr., and for Best Ensemble Performance in Avenue Q. His production of Hamlet, in which he played Horatio, won Best Shakespearean Production, and he accepted the award on behalf of the production. In 2007 Terera became the first Black actor to play Christy in Dublin's Abbey Theatre production of Playboy of the Western World. In 2011 he played Caliban in Trevor Nunn's production of The Tempest opposite Ralph Fiennes at Haymarket Theatre. In 2015 and 2016 he appeared at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, firstly in King John followed by The Merchant Of Venice, a production starring Jonathan Pryce which toured America, China and Italy. In 2016 Terera appeared in the National Theatre's award-winning production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, reportedly spending several months learning to play the double bass for the role. In December 2017 he originated the role of Aaron Burr in the London transfer production of Hamilton, a role for which he won an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in April 2018.

As well as his numerous stage appearances, Terera has made occasional appearances in film and television. His most notable television appearances was in the CBBC programme Horrible Histories, performing in all five series from 2009 to 2013. He has also appeared in BBC television show Doctors, and in the film London Boulevard. He also appeared in a televised production of Hamlet. In 2020 he appeared in a Channel4 television production Maxxx as Gbenga (Maxxx's father).

Terera is also a filmmaker and musician. His first documentary, Muse of Fire, created with Dan Poole, centres on modern perspectives of Shakespeare, featuring interviews with actors and filmmakers such as Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Jude Law, Julie Taymor, Fiona Shaw and Baz Luhrmann. The film premiered in autumn 2013 on BBC Four."Muse of Fire: A Shakespearean Road Movie", BBC Four, 24 October 2013.

Terera's credits as a musician, aside from appearing in numerous musical theatre productions, include composing scores for theatre and performing live as a solo musician. He also composed the score for Muse of Fire,Muse of Fire – The Producers. and his vocals can be heard in several songs for Horrible Histories.

In 2013, Terera curated and directed a series of events at the National Theatre as part of its 50th-anniversary celebrations entitled "Walk in the Light", which honoured the contribution of Black artists to British theatre."Walk in the Light" , National Theatre.

Terera was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to theatre.

Terera featured as part of London's New Year celebrations for 2022. He opened the celebrations by delivering a poem referencing the impact and achievements made in 2021.

In 2021, Terera published the book Hamilton and Me.

In 2022, Terera performed "Wait for it" from Hamilton in the Platinum Jubilee celebration.

Terera was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2023 in recognition of services to theatre.

Acting credits Film and Television Year Title Role Notes 2001 Doctors Lee Herridge One episode, television series 2009–13 Horrible Histories Various roles, including Sports presenter and Jesse Owens Appears in all five series, television 2010 London Boulevard Waiter Feature film Hamlet Horatio Televised stage performance 2013 Muse of Fire Himself Feature-length television documentary. Also served as composer, director, creator, writer and producer 2015–16 Horrible Histories Various roles television 2016 Yonderland Party Guest Appears in Christmas Special episode 2017 The Current War Elijah McCoy 2020 Maxxx GBenga 2021 Death of England: Face To Face Delroy 2022 Olivier Awards Guest Presenter 1 episode Scrooge: A Christmas Carol Tom Jenkins Voice2026Frank and LouisSam2026Kiloran BayJames

Theatre Year Title Role Theatre Location 1999 Troilus and Cressida Ensemble National Theatre London Candide Ensemble National Theatre London 1999–2000 Honk! Ugly National Theatre London 2000 The Darker Face of the Earth Ensemble National Theatre London 2002–03 125th Street Marvin Gaye Shaftesbury Theatre West End 2004–05 Jailhouse Rock Quickly Robinson Theatre Royal Haymarket West End 2005 The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas Sammy Davis Jr. Theatre Royal Haymarket West End 2006–07 Avenue Q Gary Coleman Noël Coward Theatre West End 2007 Playboy of the Western World Christy Abbey Theatre Dublin 2002 RENT Mr Jefferson Prince Of Wales Theatre West End 2009 Death and the King's Horseman Praise Singer National Theatre London 2009–10 The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas Sammy Davis Jr. Adelphi Theatre West End 2010 Hamlet Horatio National Theatre London 2015 The Tempest Caliban National Theatre London 2016 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Slow Drag National Theatre London The Merchant of Venice Prince of Morocco National Theatre London 2017 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Ernesto Roma National Theatre London 2017–19, 2022 Hamilton Aaron Burr Victoria Palace Theatre West End 2019 Rosmersholm Andreas Kroll Duke of York's Theatre West End 2022 Blue/Orange Robert UK tour UK 2022 The Meaning of Zong Olaudah Equiano Bristol Old Vic Bristol 2022 Blues for an Alabama Sky Guy Jacobs National Theatre London 2022–23 Othello Othello National Theatre London 2023 The Meaning of Zong Olaudah Equiano Barbican Centre London2023 Clyde's Montrellous Donmar WarehouseLondon2024Passing StrangeNarratorYoung VicLondon2024–25Dr. StrangeloveGeneral TurgidsonNoël Coward Theatre and Bord Gáis Energy TheatreWest End and Dublin2025HamletHamletChichester Festival Theatre Chichester 2025–26Oh, Mary! Mary’s Husband Trafalgar TheatreWest End 2026 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Dale Harding The Old Vic London2026–27A Christmas CarolEbenezer ScroogeThe Old VicLondon

Awards

Year Award Title Production Result 2004 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Supporting Actor Jailhouse Rock 2005 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Takeover in a RoleThe Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas 2007 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Ensemble Avenue Q 2011 KidScreen Awards Best Acting Horrible Histories WhatsOnStage Awards Best Shakespearean Production Hamlet 2012 KidScreen Awards Best Acting Horrible Histories 2014 Falstaff Awards Best Film Muse of Fire 2018 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actor in a Musical Hamilton BroadwayWorld UK Awards Best Actor in a New Musical 2019 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Actor in a Musical 2020 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Play Rosmersholm 2022 UK Theatre Awards Best Actor The Meaning of ZongBBC Audio Drama AwardsBest ActorThe Meaning of ZongNominatedBBC Audio Drama AwardsBest use of SoundThe Meaning of ZongWon Evening Standard Theatre Awards Best Actor Blues For An Alabama Sky 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actor Blues For An Alabama Sky 2023 Critics Circle Theatre Awards Best Actor Blues For An Alabama Sky and Othello 2024 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actor In A Supporting Role Clyde’s 2024British Academy Television AwardsBAFTA Special AwardHorrible HistoriesWon2026 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actor In A Supporting Role Oh, Mary! 2026Stalls to Stage AwardsBest ActorHamletWon

References

External links

Muse of Fire