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Announcing Speakers Christopher Jackson and Rizwan Manji for 2015 Fall Commencement!

January 29, 2016 - Alumni, Announcements, Educational Advice, Featured

As the fall semester draws to a close, AMDA would like to congratulate our soon-to-be graduates entering the professional world! To honor our students’ accomplishments and time at AMDA, we are pleased to announce the keynote speakers for AMDA’s 2015 Fall Graduation Ceremonies:

Emmy-winning composer and actor Christopher Jackson (George Washington in Broadway’s Hamilton) will speak at AMDA New York’s commencement on Saturday, February 6. Meanwhile, acclaimed film/TV actor Rizwan Manji (“Outsourced,” “Schitt’s Creek,” The Wolf of Wall Street) will address graduates at AMDA Los Angeles on Saturday, February 13.

These incredible alumni were selected for the dedication, passion, and humility they bring to their professional careers, qualities which AMDA aims to instill in every student stepping foot onto our campuses. We look forward to the wisdom and insight they will offer this semester’s dedicated group of aspiring performers. Check out their bios below to learn more.

Christopher Jackson and Rizwan Manji

Christopher Jackson

Emmy-winning songwriter/composer and actor Christopher Jackson is currently known for his starring role as George Washington in Broadway sensation Hamilton. He was nominated for his third Daytime Emmy Award for Best Original Song for co-composing “Queen of Nacho Picchu” for the children’s show Sesame Street. Previously, Chris took home the 2011 Emmy for writing the tune “What I Am”, also for Sesame Street. Chris also composed music for the revival of children’s show The Electric Company, and sang his original composition “Puppet Man” for the documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey. Chris released his own R&B solo album In the Name of Love in 2011, and has written music for LL Cool J, Ne-Yo, Mario, and Sean Kingston.

On Broadway, Chris featured as Simba in Broadway’s iconic musical The Lion King, originated the lead role of Benny in hip-hop triumph and Tony Award-winning hit In the Heights, and stepped into the role of Delray in Memphis. In 2014, Chris starred as Vertus in the original Broadway production of Holler If Ya Hear Me. Off-Broadway, Chris has taken the stage for such productions as Patience, the New York City Opera revival of Candide, and the national tour of The Lion King.

Rizwan Manji

AMDA alumnus Rizwan Manji is perhaps best known for playing Rajiv, the hysterically officious, scheming assistant manager of a call center in the NBC comedy “Outsourced.” The groundbreaking TV show was the first American sitcom to be based in India featuring a predominantly Indian cast and was part of the network’s prestigious Thursday night lineup.

With a prolific career spanning nearly 20 years to date, some of Rizwan's memorable film credits include The Wolf of Wall Street, Charlie Wilson's War, The Dictator, Transformers, Don Jon and the Canadian/Indian co-production Dr. Cabbie. Rizwan has also appeared on many popular TV shows including “Glee,” “Arrested Development,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Without a Trace,” “NCIS” and “Bones.”

Rizwan can currently be seen as the eternally optimistic real estate agent Ray Butani in “Schitt's Creek” with Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). This year, be sure to look for Rizwan in Youssef Delara’s The Bounce Back; Jim Jarmusch's Paterson with Adam Driver; and Drake Doremus' Equals in which he stars alongside Guy Pearce and Oscar-nominated Jackie Weaver. Rizwan will also star as Babu in Lena Khan's period dramedy The Tiger Hunter.