Peter O'Herne (30 November 1961 – 12 December 2010) was a New Zealand actor, known for his collaborations with director

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

. He appears in Jackson directed films '' The Valley'' (1976) and '' Bad Taste'' (1987). He died in 2010 of heart failure.

Early life

O'Herne was born 30 November 1961 in Wellington, New Zealand. He became friends with future Hollywood director

at the age of 9.

Career

At the age of 14, O'Herne appeared in Jackson's 1976 short film, '' The Valley'', which aired on children's television show ''

Spot On Spot-On models, was a brand name for a line of diecast toy cars made by Tri-ang from 1959 through about 1967. They were manufactured in 1:42 scale in Belfast, Northern Ireland, of the United Kingdom. Competition for Spot-On in the British Isl ...

''. After this, he, Jackson and fellow friends Mike Minett, Craig Smith, Terry Potter, Dean Lawrie and Ken Hammon worked on their next project, '' Bad Taste'' (1987). The film took four years to create, only filmed on weekends when the friends were able to meet up. O'Herne later turned down a role in Jackson's 1992 film ''

Braindead ''BrainDead'' is an American political satire science fiction comedy-drama television series created by Robert and Michelle King. The series stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Laurel Healy, a documentary film-maker who takes a job working for he ...

''. In 2010, he made his first film appearance in nearly 25 years in the American film ''God of Vampires''. This was his final film role.

Death

On 12 December 2010, O'Herne died of congestive heart failure. His funeral was held on 21 December of that year and was attended by Peter Jackson in person, who delivered a speech. He is survived by his brother.

Personal life

O'Herne enjoyed watching science fiction films and television shows such as ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' and '' The X-Files''. He also enjoyed horror films such as

George A. Romero George Andrew Romero (; February 4, 1940 – July 16, 2017) was an American-Canadian filmmaker, writer, editor and actor. His ''Night of the Living Dead'' series of films about an imagined zombie apocalypse began with the 1968 film of the ...

's '' Dawn of the Dead''. He was also a fan of professional wrestling. In 1989 he suffered a back injury that severely limited his work opportunities. Despite this, he remained active and frequented the gym in the years before his death.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Pete O'Herne
s profile at the New Zealand Film Commission {{DEFAULTSORT:OHerne, Pete 1961 births 2010 deaths New Zealand male film actors Male actors from Wellington City