Ernest Abuba (August 25, 1947 – June 21, 2022) was an American actor, playwright, and theatre director of Filipino descent. He appeared on stage and on film, with more than one hundred stage appearances,^[1] and was the co-founder of the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre.^[2]

Born in Honolulu to Filipino parents, Abuba was raised in San Diego and Texas.^[3] He trained at the Actors Studio.^[4]

Abuba received an Obie Award in 1983 for his portrayal of Kenji Kadota in Yellow Fever.^[5] His Broadway credits include: Pacific Overtures, Loose Ends, Zoya's Apartment, and Lincoln Center Theatre's The Oldest Boy, which was his final Broadway role. Among the highlights of his long Off-Broadway career is that he was the first Asian-American in the role of Sakini in Teahouse of the August Moon, and the first Asian-American as MacBeth in Shogun Macbeth. On screen he was known for 12 Monkeys, Call Me, Forever Lulu and many more roles.^[1] As a playwright, he was known for 2013's Dojoji.^[6]

Abuba was on the theatre faculty at Sarah Lawrence College.^[2]

Abuba and Tisa Chang married in 1976 and had one son before divorcing.^[7] Abuba died in New York City on June 21, 2022.^[8]