BIO

KEO WOOLFORD is a multi-disciplinary artist, born and raised in Hawai`i. He recently made his feature film directorial debut with “The Haumana” which won the Audience Award and Best First Feature Award at the 2013 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. His short film “Lunchtime” continues it’s successful film festival run around the globe, garnering him the Phred Love Hawai`i Filmmakers Award from HRFF and Special Jury Prize from SQFF. Keo also recently directed the critically acclaimed hit stage play THREE YEAR SWIM CLUB at East-West Players in Los Angeles.

As an actor, Keo was mostly recently seen in the number one box office hit “Act of Valor” and as Detective/Sgt. Chang, his recurring role on HAWAII 5-0. His self-penned one-man show I LAND was nominated for an Ovation Award and won the Scenie Outstanding Solo Show Award and toured for three years after it’s Off-Broadway debut. Keo has starred as the King of Siam in Rogers And Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I at the London Palladium in London’s West End, opposite Elaine Paige and Josie Lawrence. At the time, it was the longest running revival of a Rodgers & Hammerstein production in history. In New York and Los Angeles he has been seen in several productions including IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE, garnering him the Virgo Award for Best Actor. He is a graduate of acting teacher William Esper in New York City and most recently studied with Ivana Chubbuck in her master class in Los Angeles.

Keo was also a member of the Hawai`i boyband Brownskin. Their self-titled release was the best-selling pop album in 1999. His final concert with the group was before a sell-out crowd as co-headliners with Christina Aguilera. Keo is also a prolific songwriter, having written many hit songs in Hawai`i and Japan. As a songwriter and vocalist, he contributed to the Island Warriors CD which was the first album from the U.S. ever to be nominated for a Grammy® Award in the Best Reggae Album category.

Keo is a member of Robert Cazimero’s Halau Na Kamalei O Lililehua and is the co-producer of the award-winning documentary “Na Kamalei: Men of Hula.”