Taika Waititi

New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian

Taika David Cohen ONZM (born 16 August 1975), also known as Taika Waititi /ˈtkə wˈtti/ (audio speaker iconlisten),[1] is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor and comedian. He has been awarded with a BAFTA and an Academy Award. He often acts in the movies he writes and directs.

Taika Waititi
Waititi at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Taika David Waititi

(1975-08-16) 16 August 1975 (age 49)
Raukokore, New Zealand
Other namesTaika Cohen
Occupation(s)Filmmaker, actor, comedian
Years active1999–present
Spouse
(m. 2011)
Children2

Life and career

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Waititi was born in Raukokore in the Bay of Plenty, North Island. His father was Māori. His mother is of Russian Jewish and Irish ancestry. He calls himself a "Polynesian Jew."[2] He married Chelsea Winstanley in 2011. The couple have two daughters.

Waititi wrote and directed the short movie Two Cars, One Night (2004). It was nominated with an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. He later moved into acting, directing and writing in feature movies. His movies include Eagle vs Shark (2007), Boy (2010), What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). In 2017, Waititi directed the superhero movie Thor: Ragnarok. He has also had acting roles in The Strip, Freaky, The Mandalorian and Rick and Morty.[3]

Waititi wrote, directed, produced and starred as Adolf Hitler in Jojo Rabbit (2019). The movie won the Best Adapted Screenplay at the BAFTA Awards as well as the Oscars. Jojo Rabbit was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.[4]

References

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  1. The Art of Creativity | Taika Waititi | TEDxDoha. TED. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2020 – via YouTube.
  2. "Taika Waititi, a Polynesian Jew, Will Play Hitler in His New Satirical Film". Kveller. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  3. Fitzpatrick, Kevin (20 July 2019). "Taika Waititi Brings His Trademark Weirdness to First Rick and Morty Season 4 Clip". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  4. Pulver, Andrew (10 February 2020). "Taika Waititi wins best adapted screenplay Oscar for Jojo Rabbit". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2020.

Other websites

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