Taika Waititi is a multi-talented, award-winning filmmaker, actor and comedian from New Zealand.
He has directed and starred in a number of acclaimed films, such as The Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, This Is Us, and Jojo Rabbit, for which he won an Oscar.
He also branched out into the superhero genre with Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, bringing his own unique perspective and voice to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He is also a prolific TV creator and producer, having worked on shows like Flight of the Conchords, The Mandalorian, and Dogs of the Reservation.
contour
- Full name: Taika David Waititi
- Date of Birth: August 16, 1975
- Age: 49
- Sex: Male
- Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
- Nationality: New Zealand
- Occupation: Filmmaker, actor, comedian
- Height: 1.85 m
- Parents: Robin Cohen (mother), Taika Waititi (father)
- Brothers and sisters: None
- Spouse: Chelsea Winstanley (m. 2011; married September 2018), Rita Ora (m. 2022)
- Children: Te Hinekāhu Waititi (daughter), Matewa Kiritapu Waititi (son)
- Marital status: Married
- Net worth: $25 million
Early life and education
Taika Waititi, 49, was born on August 16, 1975 in Wellington, New Zealand.
His father, Taika Waititi, is a Maori artist and farmer, and his mother, Robin Cohen, is a Jewish teacher and social worker.
His parents divorced when he was very young, and he grew up mostly with his mother in the suburb of Arrow Valley. He has no brothers or sisters.
He studied at Onslow College and Wellington College, where he was involved in drama and theatre performance. He then studied Theatre Performance at Victoria University of Wellington, where he met Jermaine Clement, who would become his long-term partner and friend. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1997.
personal life
Taika Waititi has been married twice. In 2011, he married film producer Chelsea Winstanley, with whom he has two children, Te Hinekāhu and Matewa Kiritapu.
They separated in 2018 and divorced in 2020. He is married to singer and actress Rita Ora, whom he married in 2022. They met on the set of Thor: Love and Thunder, in which Ora had a cameo role.
Taika Waititi is Maori and Jewish and incorporates his heritage and culture into his films and projects.
He also advocates for Aboriginal rights and environmental issues, and supports various charities and causes such as UNICEF, Greenpeace and the New Zealand Film Commission.
Profession
Taika Waititi began his career as a comedian and actor, performing in various shows and festivals.
He was a member of the comedy group So You’re a Man and later formed the duo The Humourbeasts with Jemaine Clement. He has also appeared in television shows and films such as The Strip, Scarfies and Snakeskin.
He made his feature film debut with Eagle and Shark (2007), starring Lauren Taylor and Clement. The quirky romantic comedy received mixed reviews but won several awards at international film festivals.
He then directed the comedy series Flight of the Conchords, created by Clement and Brett McKenzie, which aired on HBO from 2007 to 2009.
In 2010, he gained international recognition with the film Boy, which was based on his own childhood experiences and became New Zealand’s highest-grossing film.
The film is a coming-of-age story set in the 1980s, starring James Rolleston as a young boy who idolizes his absent father, played by Waititi.
The film was praised for its humor, heart and authenticity, and won several awards including the Grand Prix at the Berlin International Film Festival.
In 2016, he released another hit film, “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” starring Sam Neill and Julian Dennison, about an adopted father and son on the run in the New Zealand wilderness.
The film is a hilarious and touching adventure that broke box office records and received critical acclaim. It also won several awards, including the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award.
He also co-wrote and starred in the mockumentary Vampire Life, which was released in 2014. In the film, he played the role of Viago, a vampire who lives in Wellington with other undead roommates.
The film, a spoof of the horror and documentary formats, was a huge success and was adapted into a television series in 2019, with Waititi also serving as a co-creator and executive producer.
He entered the superhero genre with Thor: Ragnarok 2017, where he co-wrote the screenplay and voiced the rock alien Korg. He brought his signature comedy style and creativity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, creating a fun-filled epic.
In 2022, he returned to the director’s film Thor: Love and Thunder as the voice of Korg, starring Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Christian Bale.
In 2019, he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film Jojo Rabbit, in which he also directed and played the role of Adolf Hitler, the imaginary friend of a young Nazi boy.
The film is a satirical and moving comedy that explores themes such as fascism, war and love. He also won a Grammy Award for composing the film’s soundtrack, which included songs by David Bowie, the Beatles and Tom Waits.
He has worked on several television projects, such as directing an episode of The Mandalorian in 2019 and voicing the character of bounty hunter droid IG-11.
He also co-created and served as executive producer on the sitcom Reservation Dogs, which premiered in 2021 and follows the lives of four Native American teenagers in Oklahoma.
He also directed, executive produced and starred in the comedy Our Flag Means Death, which premiered in 2022 and is based on the true story of an English nobleman who became a pirate.
He is also attached to produce several upcoming films, such as Next Goal Wins, a sports comedy about the American Samoa national football team based on the documentary of the same name, and he is also set to direct and co-write a Star Wars film, which is expected to be released in 2025.
Awards
Taika Waititi has received numerous awards and honors as a filmmaker and actor. Some of the most notable are:
- Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay (Jojo Rabbit) (2020)
- BAFTA Best Adapted Screenplay (Jojo Rabbit) (2020)
- Grammy Award for Best Compilation Score for Visual Media (Jojo Rabbit) (2021)
- Jojo Rabbit (2020) wins American Film Institute Film of the Year Award
- Berlin International Film Festival Grand Prix for “Boy” (2010)
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) Sundance Film Festival Audience Award
- New Zealand Order of Merit in Film (2019)
dispute
Taika Waititi has not been involved in any major scandals or controversies that would damage his reputation or career.
However, he has faced some criticism and backlash for some of his creative choices and perspectives, such as:
- played Adolf Hitler in Jojo Rabbit, which some found offensive or insensitive despite its anti-fascist message and satirical tone.
- In his acceptance speech at the 2017 New Zealand Film Awards, he mocked the New Zealand government’s lack of support for the arts, comments that some saw as disrespectful and ungrateful.
- In 2018, he called New Zealand “racist to the core” in an interview with Dazed. While his intention was to raise awareness and spark conversation, some saw the statement as exaggerated or divisive.
- In 2021, Rita Ora and Tessa Thompson were seen hugging and kissing in a threesome in Sydney, and although they were clearly consensual and in a good relationship, some people considered the behavior inappropriate or scandalous.
social media
- Instagram account: @taikawaititi
- Twitter account: @TaikaWaititi
Filmography
Taika Waititi has directed, written, produced and starred in many feature and short films. Some of his film credits include:
- Eagle and Shark (2007) – Director, screenwriter, actor.
- Boy (2010) – director, screenwriter, actor, producer.
- “This Is Us” (2014) – Director.
net worth
According to sources, Taika Waititi’s net worth is estimated to be $25 million.
His wealth comes from his successful career as a film producer, actor, and comedian, as well as his endorsements and other investments.
