Who is your favourite New Zealand actor?
by nephihaha | created - 26 May 2016 | updated - 07 Jun 2016 | PublicThis is a list of actors from or strongly connected to New Zealand, which is your favourite?
Discuss here
1. Sam Neill
Actor | Jurassic Park
Sam Neill was born in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, to army parents, an English-born mother, Priscilla Beatrice (Ingham), and a New Zealand-born father, Dermot Neill. His family moved to the South Island of New Zealand in 1954. He went to boarding schools and then attended the universities ...
2. Anna Paquin
Actress | The Piano
Anna Paquin is the first millennial to have received an Academy Award nomination for acting, and the first to win.
She was born on July 24, 1982 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to Mary (Brophy), an English teacher from Wellington, New Zealand, and Brian Paquin, a Canadian phys-ed teacher. Anna moved ...
3. Rachel Hunter
Actress | The Benchwarmers
Rachel Hunter was born on September 8, 1969 in Auckland, New Zealand. She is an actress and producer, known for The Benchwarmers (2006), Rock Star (2001) and Dead Write (2007). She was previously married to Rod Stewart.
4. Keisha Castle-Hughes
Actress | Whale Rider
Keisha Castle-Hughes was born on March 24, 1990 in Donnybrook, Western Australia, Australia. She is an actress and producer, known for Whale Rider (2002), The Nativity Story (2006) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).
5. Richard O'Brien
Actor | The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Born in Cheltenham, England, Richard Smith's family moved to Tauranga, New Zealand, in 1951 when their father, an accountant, decided to become a sheep farmer. Watching horror and science-fiction double features in nearby Hamilton, Smith added an interest in acting to their love of rock and roll. ...
6. Russell Crowe
Actor | Les Misérables
Russell Ira Crowe was born in Wellington, New Zealand, to Jocelyn Yvonne (Wemyss) and John Alexander Crowe, both of whom catered movie sets. His maternal grandfather, Stanley Wemyss, was a cinematographer. Crowe's recent ancestry includes Welsh (where his paternal grandfather was born, in Wrexham),...
7. Bruce Hopkins
Actor | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Bruce Hopkins was born on November 25, 1955 in Invercargill, New Zealand. He is an actor, known for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and Housebound (2014).
8. Melanie Lynskey
Actress | Togetherness
At 16 years of age, Melanie Lynskey captivated filmgoers with an astonishing debut in Peter Jackson's revered psychological crime picture, Heavenly Creatures (1994). Her bold embodiment of the real-life Pauline Parker - a teenage outcast whose fierce bond with her only friend (a pre-stardom Kate ...
9. Temuera Morrison
Self | Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett
Temuera Derek Morrison is a New Zealand actor.
After training in drama under the New Zealand Special Performing Arts Training Scheme. One of his earliest starring roles was in the 1988 film Never Say Die, opposite Lisa Eilbacher. In 1994, he received attention for his role as the violent and abusive...
10. Kerry Fox
Actress | Shallow Grave
Kerry Fox was born on July 30, 1966 in Wellington, New Zealand. She is an actress and writer, known for Shallow Grave (1994), Bright Star (2009) and Cloudstreet (2011). She has been married to Alexander Linklater since 2004. They have two children. She was previously married to Jaime Robertson.
11. Lucy Lawless
Actress | Xena: Warrior Princess
New Zealand icon Lucy Lawless is most known for her role as "Xena the Warrior Princess." Lucy is married to producer Rob Tapert (Robert Gerard Tapert) and resides in New Zealand. They have two sons, Julius Robert Bay Tapert and Judah Miro Tapert, who were both born in New Zealand. Lucy also has a ...
12. Zoë Bell
Actress | The Hateful Eight
As an established and extremely talented stunt double and actress, Zoe Bell has made a name for herself through her unparalleled dedication, skills, and focus.
Zoe Bell was born on Waiheke Island, New Zealand, to Tish, a nurse, and Andrew Bell, a doctor. She has a background in gymnastics and martial...
13. Guy Doleman
Actor | Thunderball
Tough-looking New Zealander, with a long string of credits as an actor in Australian films and theatre. He was also prolific on radio as actor, announcer and compère. In August 1952, Doleman won a £300 prize for his performance in an Actor's Choice half-hourly play, entitled "The Coward". He used ...
14. Julian Arahanga
Actor | The Matrix
Julian Arahanga was born on December 18, 1972 in Raetihi, New Zealand. He is a director and producer, known for The Matrix (1999), Once Were Warriors (1994) and Songs from the Inside. He has been married to Becs Arahanga since February 7, 2009. They have three children.
15. Rose McIver
Actress | The Lovely Bones
Rose McIver was born in New Zealand to artist Ann "Annie" Coney and professional photographer John George Whitfield "Mac" McIver. Rose has an older brother, musician Paul McIver.
McIver started appearing in commercials when she was only 2 years old. She made her film debut in the film "The Piano" (...
16. Karl Urban
Actor | Star Trek
Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, Karl Urban now lives in Auckland. Born on June 7, 1972, he is the son of a leather-goods manufacturer (who had hoped that Karl would follow in his footsteps). His first acting role was when he was 8 -- he had a line on a television series. However, he did ...
17. Manu Bennett
Actor | Spartacus: Blood and Sand
"Shall We Begin!", the battlecry of The undefeated Gaul Crixus first bought Manu Bennett's voice & acting career to international attention. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011) spoke a universal language that slowly but surely captured a massive audience. The the show lost lead actor Andy Whitfield...
18. Martin Henderson
Actor | Smokin' Aces
Martin Henderson was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He began acting when he was 13, appearing in Strangers (1989), a local television production. He attended Westlake Boys High School and Birkenhead Primary. He first became a star in his home country when he starred in the series Shortland Street, ...
19. Marton Csokas
Actor | The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Marton was born in Invercargill, Aotearoa (New Zealand), to Margaret Christine (Rayner), a nurse, and Márton Csókás, a mechanical engineer. His father is Hungarian and his mother is Australian (of English, Irish, and Danish origin). He inherited some of his talents from his father, who was also a ...
20. Callan Mulvey
Actor | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Callan Mulvey is one of Australia's leading actors best known for his roles in the television series Rush, Mystery Road (for which he received an AACTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama), Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms and Underbelly, as well as Darren Ashton's feature film ...
21. Lawrence Makoare
Actor | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lawrence Makoare was born on March 20, 1968 in Bastion Point, Auckland, New Zealand. He is an actor, known for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Die Another Day (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
22. Clive Revill
Actor | Avanti!
A grand, well-respected character lead and support of stage, film and television, most people mistakenly think New Zealander Clive Revill is British. A delightfully comic eccentric praised for his sterling work on the musical stage, the blue-eyed, curly, red-haired gent is also highly regarded for ...
23. Pamela Stephenson
Actress | Superman III
Pamela Stephenson was born on December 4, 1949 in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand. She is an actress and writer, known for Superman III (1983), History of the World: Part I (1981) and Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979). She has been married to Billy Connolly since December 20, 1989. They have three ...
24. Stephen Kay
Director | Get Carter
Stephen Kay was born in 1963 in New Zealand. He is a director and producer, known for Get Carter (2000), Sons of Anarchy (2008) and Friday Night Lights (2006). He has been married to Piper Perabo since July 26, 2014.
25. Chris Rankin
Actor | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Christopher William Rankin lived with his parents in his native New Zealand until age 6 when they moved back to England.
He found his love for acting at the age of 11, at Northgate High School in Norfolk, as a member of the Youth Theatre Company of Dereham Operatic Society. While in school, Chris ...
26. Antonia Prebble
Actress | The Tribe
Antonia has been acting professionally since she was 12. Her debut role was in 1997 playing Mandy McFarlane, one of the leads in the television series, Mirror Mirror - Series 2. This was followed by the role of Jem in William Shatner's A Twist in the Tale. Antonia's next project was the immensely ...
27. Kylie Bax
Actress | Storm Catcher
Kylie Bax was born on January 5, 1975 in Thames, New Zealand. She is an actress, known for Storm Catcher (1999), Boys and Girls (2000) and Get Over It (2001). She was previously married to Spiros Poros.
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