Maynard Eziashi

Maynard Eziashi's signature role was that of a young man in 1920s Nigeria in 1990's "Mister Johnson," prolific Australian director Bruce Beresford's tale of imperialism and British-African culture clash. Eziashi's performance earned him the Berlin International Film Festival's prestigious Silver Bear for Best Actor and near-universal critical acclaim. Throughout the 1990s, Eziashi was one of Hollywood's favorite supporting actors for films set in Africa, from the South African apartheid drama "Bopha!" (1993) to Beresford's own lightweight colonial comedy "A Good Man in Africa" (1994). In 1995, he even appeared in "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" (1995), a wacky detective sequel and vehicle for actor-comedian Jim Carrey. Though Eziashi has had few lead roles on the feature films, he has found great success in the worlds of radio and stage theater. Eziashi originated the role of Mma Ramotswe rival Charlie Gotso in BBC Radio 4's serial adaptation of "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" (2004), which he retained for the show's entire run seven-year run. When the property was adapted for television in 2008, the Gotso role went to Idris Elba, who is best known for his work on the gripping serial crime drama "The Wire."