Ernest Abuba

Ernest Abuba (August 25, 1947 – June 21, 2022) was an American actor, playwright, and theatre director of Filipino descent. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Filipino parents, he was raised in San Diego and Texas and later trained at the Actors Studio. His career encompassed more than one hundred stage appearances, work in film and television, and a sustained presence in American theatre spanning several decades.

Abuba's Broadway career ran from 1976 to 1996 and included Pacific Overtures, Loose Ends, Shimada, The King and I, and Zoya's Apartment. His final Broadway role came in Lincoln Center Theatre's The Oldest Boy. Off Broadway, he earned an Obie Award in 1983 for his portrayal of Kenji Kadota in Yellow Fever. He was also the first Asian-American actor to play Sakini in Teahouse of the August Moon and the first Asian-American to take on the role of MacBeth in Shogun Macbeth.

Beyond performance, Abuba was a co-founder of the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre and served on the theatre faculty at Sarah Lawrence College. As a playwright, he authored the 2013 work Dojoji. His screen credits included the films 12 Monkeys, Call Me, and Forever Lulu, among others.

Abuba married Tisa Chang in 1976. The two had one son before divorcing. He died in New York City on June 21, 2022.