Temuera Morrison MNZM

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Temuera Morrison MNZM A multi-faceted entertainer,Temuera Morrison has become something of a national cultural icon. Not only as one of New Zealand’s foremost actors, with an international film and television career, but as a leading proponent of Maori culture and performance. Born in Rotorua, of Te Arawa and Ngati Maniapoto Ngati Rarua descent,Temuera’s membership of a famous entertainment family ensured an early interest in performance art. At age 11 he had his first film part, as the title character in children’s film Rangi’s Catch. A performance art training course in his teens cemented Temuera’s acting passion, leading to his first high profile role, playing Dr Ropata for three years in Shortland Street, New Zealand’s enduring medical soap (to which he returned many years later for the 4,000th episode). His breakthrough film performance, at home and internationally, came in 1994 as the tough, violent Jake “The Muss” Heke in the groundbreaking movie Once Were Warriors, and its follow-up What Beomes of the Broken Hearted, for which he gained a Best Actor award. A diverse variety of international parts followed.Temuera has gained particular attention for his modest but key contributions to the Star Wars universe. First as the bounty hunter Jango Fett in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. Part of the film's plot involves an army of clones created with Jango's DNA; Morrison also provided the voice acting for the clones. He reappeared as a number of clones in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, and re-recorded the lines of the character Boba Fett (Jango's "son") and another clone in the 2004 DVD re-releases of the original Star Wars trilogy, replacing the voice of Jason Wingreen. Disney+’s streaming blockbuster The Mandalorian promises to add another intriguing chapter to Temuera’s Star Wars story that sees him return as Boba Fett. In Mahana (2016) he was reunited with Once Were Warriors director Lee Tamahori, resulting in a NZ Best Actor nomination. Tem’s recent international roles have seen him playing Peter Bartlett in Occupation,Tom Curry in Aquaman, fabled rugby coach Eddie Jones in Brighton Miracle and Powell in Dora and the Lost City of Gold. He voiced the father in Disney’s Moana, and Warfield in Mosley. Back home, his 2013 reality television debut in The Life and Times of Temuera Morrison, won a large and supportive local audience with his humour and candour. In 2014 hosted an old-style variety show called Happy Hour. Another first was the release of his first album, - Tem - reflecting a lifelong involvement with music and Maori entertainment.The album consists of covers of songs that his father, and uncle Sir Howard Morrison, used to perform at local venues when he was growing up. In the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours, Morrison was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to drama.