Emmanuel Castis

He was born on 1 February 1976 in Johannesburg,^[1] South Africa to Greek parents, Mike Castis and Maro Castis. He graduated with a degree in dramatic arts at the University of the Witwatersrand.^{[2][better source needed]}

He is married to his longtime partner Sharlene Economou. They got engaged at Komati Gorge Lodge in Mpumalanga.^[3]

He started acting in 1997 with theatre plays, along with PJ Sabbagha and the Forgotten Angle Dance Theatre Company, where he played the role of Lennox in the play Macbeth. Later, he became involved in musical theatre. Meanwhile, he made his television debut with the television soapie Isidingo in 1999.^[1] In the serial, he played the role of Steve Stethakis, which became highly popular. In 2004, he won the People's Choice Award for Best Actor in a television soapie. Afterwards, he also appeared in the serial Erfsondes as the lead male protagonist. Additionally, he has been nominated twice for South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) for Best Actor in a television series. In 2008, he won the celebrity reality competition of the South African version of Dancing with the Stars.^[2]

In addition to his acting career, he has pursued singing and released his debut music album titled South of Nowhere in 2008. He achieved success in the reality show Strictly Come Dancing, winning season 4 in the same year. Furthermore, he released the single "Stop Running" in 2011, followed by "Alive" towards the end of 2015.^[2][1]

In 2014 he was a judge for the SAFTAs. He also appeared in two international serials, Wild at Heart and Black Sails.^{[citation needed]} In the meantime, he starred in several blockbuster films: Cryptid, Eternity and Tremors 5: Bloodlines.^[1] Then he toured around the world with the Broadway musical Jersey Boys, as one of the leads Nick Massi. He later received positive critical acclaim and received a nomination for Best Actor in a musical at the Naledi Theatre Awards.^[2]