Biography

Born in Hokianga

Hokianga

Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as The Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand....

, Paratene is from the Maori iwi

Iwi

In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...

 (tribe) of Nga Puhi. Paratene has appeared in a large number of television, stage and film roles. He is also a theatrical director and writer for film, television and theatre. He is also a published poet.

Film

Paratene is best known internationally for his role in the New Zealand film Whale Rider (2002), in which he played the male lead, Koro, alongside Oscar-nominated actress Keisha Castle-Hughes

Keisha Castle-Hughes

Keisha Castle-Hughes is a New Zealand film actress who rose to prominence at the age of eleven when playing Paikea "Pai" Apirana in the 2002 film Whale Rider...

 and 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

Paratene is one of New Zealand's best known and versatile actors, starting his career on television as a children's presenter on Play School

Play School (New Zealand TV series)

Play School was a New Zealand educational television show for children. It was based on the British Play School show.It was first broadcast in New Zealand during the 1970s originally screened twice a day at around 10am and then 2:30pm. Playschool was filmed from the TVNZ studio that was in Dunedin...

and in a sitcom, Joe and Koro. He guest starred in the 6th season of Xena Warrior Princess, in episode "Legacy". Paratene played Joe Hudson on the New Zealand television series Shortland Street.

Theatre

He is an actor

Actor

An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

, director and writer

Writer

A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

 and appeared as Friar Lawrence in the 2009 London Globe Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet.

Nga Tamatoa

As a young student in the 1970s, Paratene was a member of Nga Tamatoa

Nga Tamatoa

Ngā Tamatoa was a Māori activist group that operated from the early 1970s until 1979, and existed to fight for Maori rights, land and culture as well as confront injustices perpetrated by the New Zealand Government, particularly violations of the Treaty of Waitangi.Nga Tamatoa emerged out of a...

 an activist organisation which fought for Maori rights, land, language and culture. Paratene was President of the Wellington chapter of Nga Tamatoa. Today, working in the arts, Paratene aspires to have more Maori stories on film.

Awards

• 2011 Aotearoa Film & Television Award for Best Actor in a Feature Film - The Insatiable Moon (Arthur)
• 1996 NZ Film & Television Award for Best Actor - Dead Cert (Hare)
• 1983 Winner of the Robert Burns Fellowship
  Robert Burns Fellowship
  The Robert Burns Fellowship, established in 1958 as a bicentennial celebration, is claimed to be New Zealand's premier literary residency. The list of past fellows includes many of New Zealand's most notable writers....
  
  
• 1980 Winner Mobil Radio Award for 'Proper Channels' Radio Play (Production)
• 1980 Winner Mobil Radio Award for 'Proper Channels' Radio Play (Writing)
• 1976 Winner of the Maori Writers' Award

Politics

On 18 September 2008 the Green Party

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...

 announced he was standing as their candidate for Maungakiekie.

External links

• Biography at NZ On Screen
• Interview, The Listener NZ literary magazine
• Rawiri Paratene's information page at his Agent's website
• Globe Theatre London Romeo & Juliet