- Born
- Birth nameTaika David Waititi
- Height6′ 0½″ (1.84 m)
- Taika Waititi, also known as Taika Cohen, hails from the Raukokore region of the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand, and is the son of Robin (Cohen), a teacher, and Taika Waititi, an artist and farmer. His father is Maori (Te-Whanau-a-Apanui), and his mother is of Ashkenazi Jewish, Irish, Scottish, and English descent. Taika has been involved in the film industry for several years, initially as an actor, and now focusing on writing and directing.
Two Cars, One Night is Taika's first professional film-making effort and since its completion in 2003 he has finished another short "Tama Tu" about a group of Maori Soldiers in Italy during World War 2. As a performer and comedian, Taika has been involved in some of the most innovative and successful original productions seen in New Zealand. He regularly does stand-up gigs in and around the country and in 2004 launched his solo production, "Taika's Incredible Show". In 2005 he staged the sequel, "Taika's Incrediblerer Show". As an actor, Taika has been critically acclaimed for both his Comedic and Dramatic abilities. In 2000 he was nominated for Best Actor at the Nokia Film Awards for his role in the Sarkies Brother's film "Scarfies".
Taika is also an experienced painter and photographer, having exhibited both mediums in Wellington and Berlin, and a fashion designer. He attended the Sundance Writers Lab with "Choice", a feature loosely based on "Two Cars, One Night".
Taika became a blockbuster director with his film Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and received critical acclaim, and a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, for his film Jojo Rabbit (2019).
- IMDb mini biography by: Defender Films / 2005
- SpousesRita Ora(August 2022 - present)Chelsea Winstanley(2011 - 2018) (divorced, 2 children)
- Children
- ParentsRobin CohenMaori Waititi
- Often plays a role in his movies.
- Often focuses on fathers or father figures.
- Often casts Rachel House.
- Eccentric and offbeat characters.
- 'What We Do in the Shadows' actors hadn't seen the script before and during the making of the film; they had only some directions from Jemaine and Taika and the script was largely improvised.
- His portrait as Viago, the character from 'What We Do in the Shadows' painted by Freeman White is in the NZ Portrait Gallery in Wellington together with Jemaine Clement's character Vladislav's and Jonathan Brugh's as Deacon.
- Taika in Maori means 'Tiger'.
- He's from the Maori tribe Te-Whaanau-a-Apanui (the family of Apanui), sub-tribe Te-Whaanau-a-Pararaki (the family of Pararaki).
- His Dad was a painter and his Mum is a teacher.
- Sundance felt like a natural fit. I love coming here, and I do think that this festival suits my films rather than most of the festivals I've been to. I'm not going to Cannes, you know.
- To make filmmaking interesting to me, I want to keep learning things.
- Also with that money comes the idea, "Let your imagination run wild." Which I think is a very dangerous thing. I think it's dangerous because you can get into pretty wacky territory. There are things that are too crazy.
- I constantly remind myself that there are terrible movies out there. I try to watch them, some of them, to give myself an understanding of what not to do.
- Sometimes there are really happy mistakes.
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