Edi Gathengi’s Journey From Local Stages to Global Recognition

Edi Gathengi is a Kenyan American actor who is well-known for playing Laurent in The Twilight Saga film series.

He was born on March 10, 1979, in Nairobi, Kenya, and then relocated to California as a child.

Education

Gathengi grew up in Albany, California, in the United States.

He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara as an undergraduate, where he played basketball until a leg injury ended his career.

Later, he attended New York University in the Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts.

He graduated in 2005.

Career of Edi Gathengi 

After his knee injury, he took time off from basketball and enrolled in an acting class, which was when he discovered his passion for acting.

His first professional screen role was in 2006 in the film “Crank,” where he played a Haitian cabbie.

Gathengi was also featured in films like “Gone Baby Gone” where he played Cheese, “The Fifth Patient” as Darudi, “Death Sentence” as Bodie, “House” was a TV series, and he played Dr. Jeffrey.

In 2008, he was featured in “Twilight” and “Twilight Saga: New Moon,” where he played the iconic role of Laurent, which is the role that put him in the spotlight. “My Bloody Valentine 3D as Deputy Martin, “X-Men: First Class” as Darwin, and “Atlas Shrugged” as Eddie Willers. 

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He also had roles in “Aloha” as Curtis, “Pimp” as Kenny Wayne, “Better Start Running” as Fitz Paradise, and “Superman” as Mr. Terrific (Michael Holt), which is his current work in 2025, among others.

Family

Edi is married to Adriana Marinescu, who is a Romanian dancer.

They got married in 2018, and they have a daughter, Adriana

 Awards

Throughout his career, he has received various awards and recognitions.

In 2018, he won the Drama Desk Awards for his performance in “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train”, where he played Lucius Jenkins.

He also won the Obie Awards for” Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” in 2018.

In addition, he won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards (LADCC) for Lead Actor in the play “Superior Donuts” for playing Franco Wicks.

In 2019, he won the Breakout Acting Award at the Method Fest Independent Film Festival for His Role in “Princess of the Bow.”

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Edi Gathengi was nominated for the Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Featured Actor in a play, “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train.”

The journey of Edi Gathengi is a powerful testament to resilience and reinvention. After a career-ending basketball injury, he converted the obstacle into a career opportunity today.

Edi stands out in Hollywood for his dynamic presence, ability to break barriers, and representation of Kenyan talent on the global platform.

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