George Henare
Encyclopedia
George Winiata Henare, CNZM, OBE (born c.1946) is an acclaimed New Zealand
actor with a distinguished career spanning more than three decades.
for outstanding contribution to Māori theatre. He became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
for services to the theatre in the New Year Honours announced on 31 December 2009. Henare is from the Māori tribes of Ngati Porou
and Ngati Hine.
in 1945, the third youngest in a family of ten children. He lived on a farm until the age of 12 on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island.
. Other films include Crooked Earth
, Rapa Nui
produced by Kevin Costner
, The Silent One and The Legend of Johnny Lingo. Henare also played a lead role in the NZ short film Mananui (1995) alongside actor Cliff Curtis
.
. Other television roles included appearances in Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules, Street Legal and Shortland Street.
Starting in March 2011, Henare began in a recurring guest role as Henare Ngatai, father of Roimata
in long running soap opera
Shortland Street
.
for his performance in the role of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman at Circa Theatre, Wellington.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
actor with a distinguished career spanning more than three decades.
Biography
In 1988, he was awarded an OBE for Services to Theatre. In 2008, he received a prestigious Laureate Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand and was also honoured with the Te Waka Toi Award, Creative New ZealandCreative New Zealand
The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government, investing in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes and developing markets and audiences for New Zealand arts domestically and internationally...
for outstanding contribution to Māori theatre. He became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
for services to the theatre in the New Year Honours announced on 31 December 2009. Henare is from the Māori tribes of Ngati Porou
Ngati Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Porou has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi in New Zealand, with 71,910 registered members in 2006...
and Ngati Hine.
Personal History
Henare was born in GisborneGisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
in 1945, the third youngest in a family of ten children. He lived on a farm until the age of 12 on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island.
Career
Henare has a distinguished career as an actor in New Zealand with more than 30 years on stage and screen. Henare began his acting career after a stint as a postman and a trainee teacher. He has played lead roles in film, television, opera and theatre as well as radio and voice work. An early success was landing a role in a New Zealand Opera production of Porgy and Bess in 1965. He later toured Australia in Jesus Christ Superstar and Phantom of the Opera.Film
Henare played the role of social worker Bennett in the classic New Zealand movie Once Were WarriorsOnce Were Warriors
Once Were Warriors is New Zealand author Alan Duff's bestselling first novel, published in 1990. It tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and portrays the reality of domestic violence. It was the basis of a 1994 film, directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Rena Owen and Temuera...
. Other films include Crooked Earth
Crooked Earth
Crooked Earth is a 2001 New Zealand film directed by Sam Pillsbury and starring Temuera Morrison. The film opened to negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office.-Plot:...
, Rapa Nui
Rapa Nui (film)
Rapa Nui is a 1994 film directed by Kevin Reynolds. It was produced by Kevin Costner and Barrie M. Osborne, among others. The plot is based on Rapanui legends of Easter Island, Chile, in particular the race for the Sooty Tern's egg in the Birdman Cult....
produced by Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
, The Silent One and The Legend of Johnny Lingo. Henare also played a lead role in the NZ short film Mananui (1995) alongside actor Cliff Curtis
Cliff Curtis
Clifford Vivian Devon "Cliff" Curtis is a New Zealand actor who has had major roles in film, including The Piano, Whale Rider, and Blow, and most recently has appeared in NBC's television series Trauma. He is also co-owner of independent film production company Whenua Films...
.
Television
Henare has performed in numerous television dramas in New Zealand including The Park Terrace Murder (1976), the historical series Greenstone and Mercy Peak. He also acted in the award-winning docu-drama Nga Tohu:Signatures which explored political and social issues around the Treaty of WaitangiTreaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
. Other television roles included appearances in Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules, Street Legal and Shortland Street.
Starting in March 2011, Henare began in a recurring guest role as Henare Ngatai, father of Roimata
Roimata Ngatai
Roimata Ngatai is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She is portrayed by Shavaughn Ruakere and has been on the soap since January 2011...
in long running soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Shortland Street
Shortland Street
Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...
.
Stage
On stage, Henare has played a variety of roles from classical Shakespeare, musicals, operas to contemporary New Zealand theatre. In 2006, he won Actor of the Year Award at the Chapman Tripp Theatre AwardsChapman Tripp Theatre Awards
The Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards are the theatre "Oscars" in New Zealand and honour the best stage talent and productions in the capital Wellington....
for his performance in the role of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman at Circa Theatre, Wellington.