Souléymane Sy Savané


Souléymane Sy Savané is an Ivorian actor. He is best known for his role in the drama film Goodbye Solo.

Life and career

Born in Côte d'Ivoire, Sy Savané moved to Paris and also worked as a flight attendant for Air Afrique. Air Afrique secured him a visa for travel to the US, and in 2000 Sy Savané settled in New York, where he studied acting before being cast in Goodbye Solo.
In 2008, he played the role of Solo in Ramin Bahrani's critically acclaimed independent film Goodbye Solo. He was nominated in 2009 for Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor.
He played his first stage role in 2009 when he appeared in the American premiere of Ian Bruce's South African political crime drama Groundswell, directed by Scott Eliott, at The New Group at Theatre Row in New York.
In 2011, Sy Savané also appeared in the film Machine Gun Preacher starring Gerard Butler, directed by Marc Forster. He plays the character of Deng, a Sudanese rebel.
Since Machine Gun Preacher, Sy Savané has appeared in numerous TV shows such as Master of None, The Detour, Madame Secretary, and Forever.
In 2019, Sy Savané will star in Suicide by Sunlight, an Official Selection of the Sundance Film Festival and Killerman, starring Liam Hemsworth, directed by Malik Bader.
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