In 1994 Msamati and school friends, Shaheen Jassat (deceased), Craig and Gavin Peter, Kevin Hanssen, Roy Chizivano, Sarah Norman founded what would become Zimbabwe's acclaimed Over the Edge Theatre Company in Harare, later joined by Erica Glyn-Jones, Zane E Lucas, Chipo Chung, Karin Alexander, Rob Hollands and Michael Pearce. The company celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2004 having flown the Zimbabwe flag across Europe, the US and South Africa. The last few years have seen individual members pursuing other interests. Though not officially disbanded, there are no immediate plans of an Over the Edge reunion. From 1998 to 2001, the company performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland; some plays were written by Msamati.
Lucian Gabriel Wiina Msamati was born in the United Kingdom and brought up in Zimbabwe by his Tanzanian parents, a Doctor and a nurse; he is the eldest of four siblings. His primary education began at Olympio Primary School in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, and continued at Avondale Primary School in Harare, Zimbabwe. After secondary education at Prince Edward School in Harare, he studied towards a BA Honours Degree in French and Portuguese at the University of Zimbabwe from 1995–97.
He permanently moved to the UK in 2003, and now resides in London.
He has also appeared in several television productions, including episodes of the television series Ultimate Force and Spooks. In 2008 he took on his most prominent role, playing JLB Matekoni in the BBC/HBO-produced series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. He has guest starred in episodes of the BBC television series Luther, Ashes to Ashes, Doctor Who, Taboo, and Death in Paradise, as well as playing the part of the pirate Salladhor Saan in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
Msamati appeared in the film The International (2009). Other film credits include Lumumba (1999), directed by Raoul Peck; animated feature The Legend of the Sky Kingdom; Dr. Juju (2000), directed by Roger Hawkins and Richard II, directed by Rupert Goold.
In November 2010 Msamati was appointed Artistic Director of British-African theatre company Tiata Fahodzi, until being succeeded in 2014 by Natalie Ibu. He has continued to work with Tiata Fahodzi, directing Boi Boi is Dead in February–March 2015.
In spring 2015, Msamati became the first black actor ever to play Iago in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Othello.
Currently starring in Amadeus at the Royal National Theatre (2016/17)
