Taika Waititi profile
Taika Waititi has been making movies in his homeland of New Zealand for years. But he only recently decided it was time to give the Hollywood blockbuster a whirl. He started out in 2007 with offbeat romcom Eagle Vs Shark, made What We Do In The Shadows – a mockumentary horror comedy about vampires in Wellington – and last year topped many critics' best of the year lists with his loveable and quirky chase comedy, Hunt For The Wilderpeople.
But it was his second movie, 2010’s Boy, which really grabbed the attention of Marvel Studios, ultimately earning him his huge breakthrough gig on Thor: Ragnarok and the adoration of film fans, Marvel maniacs, Lycra-lovers and Hollywood heroes. And watching it, you can see why. A coming-of-age tale about an 11-year-old Michael Jackson fan living in New Zealand’s Waihau Bay in 1984, Boy is as amusing as it is affecting, and features a star supporting turn from Waititi himself as the main character’s flawed father.
So the time is ripe to bring yourself up to speed on New Zealand’s most exciting export since The Lord Of The Rings, and we’re here to help, with these 11 indispensable Taika facts…
1. He's of Maori and Russian-Jewish descent
Waititi is a native of New Zealand’s North Island, whose dad hails from the Maori iwi (meaning tribe) of Te Whanau-a-Apanui, while his mother’s ancestors are Russian-Jewish. He used his mum’s maiden name, Cohen, as his own surname on some of his early work.
2. He used to be part of a comedy duo named The Humourbeasts
Unsurprisingly, Waititi started out in stand-up, teaming with fellow Kiwi comedian Jemaine Clement as The Humourbeasts. Together they won New Zealand’s Billy T Award (for upcoming comedians), but though they remained collaborators, Clement went on to form a far more successful comedy duo, Flight Of The Conchords.
3. He was Oscar-nominated before even making his first feature film
In 2004, Waititi made his first short film, Two Cars, One Night, about an encounter between two boys and a girl in a rural pub car park. It was such a good showcase for his talent, it earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film the following year.
4. He's got previous superhero experience
Surprisingly, Thor: Ragnarok is not the first time Waititi’s played around in the superheroverse. He actually popped up as Ryan Reynolds’ nerdy best friend Tom in 2011 flop Green Lantern, complete with big hair and thick-rimmed spectacles.
5. He once created a work of art using used Nespresso capsules
As well as being a filmmaker, Waititi is also a photographer and artist. In 2013, for the launch of the Nespresso Boutique in Wellington, he created a collage out of used Nespresso capsules, showing he also has a very creative approach to recycling…