| Ernest Abuba | |
| Birth Date: | 25 August 1947 |
| Birth Place: | Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii |
| Death Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Spouse: | Tisa Chang (divorced) |
| Children: | 1 |
Ernest Abuba (August 25, 1947 – June 21, 2022) was an American actor, playwright, and theatre director of Filipino descent. He appeared on stage and on film, with more than one hundred stage appearances,[1] and was the co-founder of the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre.[2]
Born in Honolulu to Filipino parents, Abuba was raised in San Diego and Texas.[3] He trained at the Actors Studio.[4]
Abuba received an Obie Award in 1983 for his portrayal of Kenji Kadota in Yellow Fever.[5] His Broadway credits include: Pacific Overtures, Loose Ends, Zoya's Apartment, and Lincoln Center Theatre's The Oldest Boy, which was his final Broadway role. Among the highlights of his long Off-Broadway career is that he was the first Asian-American in the role of Sakini in Teahouse of the August Moon, and the first Asian-American as MacBeth in Shogun Macbeth. On screen he was known for 12 Monkeys, Call Me, Forever Lulu and many more roles.[1] As a playwright, he was known for 2013's Dojoji.[6]
Abuba was on the theatre faculty at Sarah Lawrence College.
Abuba and Tisa Chang married in 1976 and had one son before divorcing.[7] Abuba died in New York City on June 21, 2022.[8]
| 1986 | Forever, Lulu | Mugger #1 | ||
| 1988 | Call Me | Boss | ||
| 1990 | King of New York | 'King Tito' Salvador | ||
| 1992 | Article 99 | Ikiro Tenabe | ||
| 1995 | 12 Monkeys | Engineer | ||
| 1997 | Hamlet, Prince of Denmark | The King | ||
| 1997 | Tuff Luk Klub | Red's butler | Also associate producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Pacific Overtures | Samurai / Adams / Noble | Television film | |
| 1986 | Adderly | Col. Doc Thieu | Episode: "Adderly with Eggroll" | |
| 1990 | The Cosby Show | George Parker | Episode: "Getting the Story" | |
| 1990 | Vestige of Honor | Thai Official | Television film | |
| 1991 | Counterstrike | Chang | Episode: "Night of the Black Moon" | |
| 1992 | Ghostwriter | Karate Instructor | Episode: "To Catch a Creep: Part 3" | |
| 1993 | Tan | 3 episodes | ||
| 1995 | New York News | Dr. Yamagucci | Episode: "A Question of Truth" | |
| 1996–97 | New York Undercover | Sonny Fung | 3 episodes |