HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, a BAFTA Award, and a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
, and has received two nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards. His feature films '' Boy'' (2010) and '' Hunt for the Wilderpeople'' (2016) have each been the top-grossing New Zealand film. ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world on its annual list in 2022. Waititi's 2003 short film '' Two Cars, One Night'' earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. He co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the horror comedy film '' What We Do in the Shadows'' (2014) with Jemaine Clement, which was adapted into a television series of the same name in 2019. The series has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. His most recent directing credits include the superhero films '' Thor: Ragnarok'' (2017) and '' Thor: Love and Thunder'' (2022) as well as the
black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to disc ...
film '' Jojo Rabbit'' (2019), the last of which he also wrote and starred in as an imaginary version of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...
. ''Jojo Rabbit'' received six Academy Award nominations and won
Best Adapted Screenplay This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
. Waititi also earned a Grammy Award for producing the film's soundtrack. In television, Waititi co-created and executive produces the dramedy series ''
Reservation Dogs ''Reservation Dogs'' is an Indigenous American teen comedy drama television series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi for FX Productions. It is the first series to feature all Indigenous writers and directors, along with an almost ent ...
'', and directs, executive produces, and stars in the comedy '' Our Flag Means Death''. In addition to directing an episode of the series '' The Mandalorian'', he also voiced the character
IG-11 IG-11 is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise who appears in the Disney+ television series ''The Mandalorian''. An extremely deadly and efficient bounty hunter droid, IG-11 initially attempts to capture and kill an alien known ...
, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance.


Early life

Taika David Cohen was born on 16 August 1975 in
Raukokore Raukokore is a small settlement close to the East Cape in the northeastern North Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 35, close to the mouth of the Raukokore River, 40 kilometres to the west of Hicks Bay. Raukokore's most no ...
in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island, and grew up on both the East Coast and in the Aro Valley of
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...
. His father was an artist of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent, whilst his mother, Robin Cohen, was a schoolteacher. Waititi stated that his mother's family were
Russian Jews The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
"mixed with a bit of Irish" and other European ancestry, while his father's side was "
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
and a little bit of French Canadian". Waititi describes himself as a " Polynesian Jew". He was raised more connected to his Māori roots, in a household where Judaism was not "actively practis d. Waititi's parents split up when he was around five, and he was raised primarily by his mother. He attended
Onslow College Onslow College is a state co-educational secondary school located in Johnsonville, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. It had a student population in 2020 of 1250 students. The current principal is Sheena Millar. History Onslow College opened i ...
, then studied theatre at
Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well kn ...
where he graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
in 1997. He originally used his mother's surname, Cohen, for his work in film and writing, and his father's, Waititi, for visual arts endeavours. Following the success of his first short film, he continued to use Waititi professionally.


Career


Early career

While a student at
Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well kn ...
, Waititi was part of the five-member comedy ensemble So You're a Man, which toured New Zealand and Australia with some success. He was half of the comedy duo The Humourbeasts alongside Jemaine Clement, which received New Zealand's highest comedy accolade, the
Billy T Award The Billy T Award is a New Zealand comedy award recognizing up-and-coming New Zealand comedians with outstanding potential. It has been presented annually since its inception in 1997 when Cal Wilson and Ewen Gilmour shared the award. The Billy T ...
, in 1999. Among a variety of artistic interests, Waititi began making comical short films for New Zealand's annual 48-hour film contest. His short film '' Two Cars, One Night'' (2003) earned him an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination in 2005. At the awards ceremony, he famously feigned falling asleep as the nominations were being read.Taika Waititi
". NZ On Screen.
His first feature film, a romantic comedy called '' Eagle vs Shark'', was released in U.S. theatres for limited distribution in 2007. Waititi co-wrote the film with Loren Horsley. That year, Waititi wrote and directed one episode of the TV show '' Flight of the Conchords'' and directed another. In 2010, he acted in the New Zealand TV3 improv sketch comedy show
Radiradirah Radiradirah was a New Zealand comedy sketch show that originally aired from 21 May to 9 July 2010, with a total of 8 episodes. It featured several well known New Zealand comedians such as Taika Waititi, Rhys Darby, David Fane, Oscar Kightley and ...
, together with frequent collaborators Rhys Darby and Jemaine Clement. His second feature, '' Boy'', premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
in January 2010, and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. Waititi also took one of the main roles, as the ex-con father who returns to his family. On its release in New Zealand, ''Boy'' received enthusiastic reviews and was successful at the local box office, eclipsing several records. Following the film's success, Waititi hoped its signature track, "
Poi E "Poi E" is a New Zealand 1984 number-one hit song by the group Pātea Māori Club off the album of the same name. Released in 1984, the song was sung entirely in the Māori language and featured a blend of Māori cultural practices in the song a ...
", would get to #1 (for the second time) on the New Zealand charts. It reached #3, but became #1 on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
. In 2011, Waititi directed New Zealand TV series '' Super City'' starring
Madeleine Sami Madeleine Nalini Sami is a New Zealand actress, director, comedian and musician. She started her acting career in theatre before moving to television, where she created, wrote, and starred in ''Super City''. She co-wrote, co-directed, and starr ...
, who plays five characters living in one city. That year, Waititi portrayed Thomas Kalmaku in the superhero film '' Green Lantern''.


2013–2019: Recognition

In 2013, Waititi co-wrote, co-directed and acted in the vampire comedy mockumentary '' What We Do in the Shadows'' with Clement. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2014. Waititi and Clement played members of a group of vampires who live in an appropriately gothic house in modern-day Wellington. A television adaptation of the film was commissioned in May 2018, with Waititi as an executive producer and director. The series of the same name premiered on FX in March 2019; its second season received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. Waititi's fourth feature, '' Hunt for the Wilderpeople'', premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. When it was released in New Zealand, the comedy adventure broke Waititi's record for a New Zealand film in its opening weekend. Based on a book by
Barry Crump John Barrie Crump (15 May 1935 – 3 July 1996) was a New Zealand author of semi-autobiographical comic novels based on his image as a rugged outdoors man. Taken together his novels have sold more than a million copies domestically. Crump's 19 ...
, it centres on a young boy (played by
Julian Dennison Julian Bailey Dennison (born 26 October 2002) is a New Zealand actor. He debuted in the 2013 film ''Shopping'', for which he won the English Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is known for his roles as Ricky Baker in ''Hunt f ...
) and a grumpy man (played by
Sam Neill Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill (born 14 September 1947) is a New Zealand actor. Neill's near-50 year career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he has been regarded as one o ...
) on the run in the forest. Waititi wrote the initial screenplay for the 2016 Disney film '' Moana'', which focused on gender and family. Those elements were passed over in favour of what became the final story. In 2017, Waititi won the award for New Zealander of the Year, but was unable to receive it in person due to work commitments. That year, he directed his first major studio film, Marvel Studios's '' Thor: Ragnarok'', which was released in October. He also portrayed the alien Korg via motion capture in the film. He had previously directed a short film series for Marvel called ''
Team Thor ''Team Thor'' is a series of American direct-to-video mockumentary short films produced by Marvel Studios, featuring characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Initially released from 2016 to 2018, they were included as special fe ...
'', chronicling the lives of Thor and his roommate, Darryl Jacobson. ''Thor: Ragnarok'' earned critical praise and was successful at the box office. Waititi was later consulted by
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Christopher Markus (born January 2, 1970) and Stephen McFeely (born February 24, 1970) are American screenwriters and producers. McFeely and Markus were the second and the third most successful screenwriters of all time in terms of U.S. box offic ...
on Thor's storylines for '' Avengers: Infinity War,'' to maintain the character's consistency in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...
. In 2019, Waititi wrote and directed '' Jojo Rabbit'', based on the book ''Caging Skies'' by Christine Leunens, the 1940s-set story of a child in the Hitler Youth whose mother is secretly hiding a Jewish girl in their home. Waititi plays a buffoonish version of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...
as the boy's imaginary friend. Waititi received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and
Best Adapted Screenplay This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
. He won the latter, making him the first person of Māori descent to win an Academy Award in a screenplay category, and the first indigenous person to be nominated for and win Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2021 he won the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media as a producer of the ''Jojo Rabbit'' soundtrack. In October 2018,
Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the '' Star Wars'' and ...
announced that Waititi would be one of the directors of the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
'' live-action streaming series '' The Mandalorian'', which tells the story of a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the period between the events of '' Return of the Jedi'' and ''
The Force Awakens ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens'') is a 2015 American epic space opera film produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. The sequel to '' Return of the Jedi'' (198 ...
''. The series premiered on 12 November 2019; Waititi also voices a droid bounty hunter named
IG-11 IG-11 is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise who appears in the Disney+ television series ''The Mandalorian''. An extremely deadly and efficient bounty hunter droid, IG-11 initially attempts to capture and kill an alien known ...
in the series. He directed the series' first-season finale, " Chapter 8: Redemption". His voiceover work earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance in 2020.


2020–present: Recent career

In 2020, Waititi narrated a charity reading of '' James and the Giant Peach'' by Roald Dahl. He portrayed Ratcatcher in the DC superhero film '' The Suicide Squad,'' released in August 2021 to positive reviews. Also in August, Waititi portrayed Antwan Hovachelik, the antagonist of the action comedy film '' Free Guy''. With Sterlin Harjo, Waititi co-created the comedy series ''
Reservation Dogs ''Reservation Dogs'' is an Indigenous American teen comedy drama television series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi for FX Productions. It is the first series to feature all Indigenous writers and directors, along with an almost ent ...
'', which chronicles the lives of a group of indigenous Oklahoma teens, and comprises a main cast, directors, producers, and writers of indigenous peoples. It premiered on FX and received positive reviews. Waititi executive produced, directed and starred as Blackbeard in the
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
comedy series '' Our Flag Means Death''. The first season was released in March 2022. That same year, ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine placed him on its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Waititi performed as a voice actor in the 2022 animated film ''
Lightyear A light-year, alternatively spelled light year, is a large unit of length used to express astronomical distances and is equivalent to about 9.46 trillion kilometers (), or 5.88 trillion miles ().One trillion here is taken to be 1012 ...
'' as Mo Morrison. He wrote and directed the superhero film '' Thor: Love and Thunder'', a sequel to ''Thor: Ragnarok''. It released in July 2022. Waititi also directed a feature film adaptation of the documentary '' Next Goal Wins'' prior to directing '' Thor: Love and Thunder''. The film, which had been delayed, is set to be released in September 2023 after Armie Hammer's scenes were re-shot with Will Arnett taking over the role. He is set to direct a live-action film adaptation of '' Akira''. He is slated to co-write a sequel to ''What We Do in the Shadows'', titled ''We're Wolves'', and direct and co-write a live-action ''Star Wars'' film. Waititi is attached to write, direct and executive produce two animated series for
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
based on Roald Dahl's children's novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' and its sequel, one adapting the novels and the other focused on the novel's Oompa Loompa characters. He is set to executive produce and direct the Showtime limited series ''The Auteur''. He is slated to write and direct a film based on ''
Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established '' Buck Rogers'' adv ...
'' for 20th Century Studios. In November 2021, it was announced that Waititi would adapt ''
The Incal ''The Incal'' (; French: ''L'Incal'') is a French graphic novel series written by Alejandro Jodorowsky and originally illustrated by Jean Giraud. ''The Incal'', with first pages originally released as ''Une aventure de John Difool'' ("A John Di ...
'' into a feature film.


Personal life

Waititi was in a relationship with New Zealand actress and writer Loren Horsley for ten years: she co-wrote and acted in his directorial debut, Eagle vs Shark. Waititi married New Zealand film producer Chelsea Winstanley in 2011. They have two daughters. He and Winstanley separated in 2018. Since 2021, Waititi has been in a relationship with British singer Rita Ora. The two married in August 2022. Waititi incorporates his Māori and Indigenous heritage into his projects, such as by including "Indigenous attachments" and conducting a Welcome to Country ceremony during the start of filming on set in Australia. He is an executive producer of the New Zealand films '' The Breaker Upperers'' (2018), ''
Baby Done ''Baby Done'' is a 2020 New Zealand comedy film. Directed by Curtis Vowell and executively produced by Taika Waititi, written by Sophie Henderson, and starring Rose Matafeo. Plot Zoe is a young woman who discovers she's pregnant. But, acting in ...
'' (2020), and '' Night Raiders'' (2021), all directed by Māori or Indigenous filmmakers. Waititi's cousin
Tweedie Waititi Tweedie Waititi is a New Zealand film director and producer. The whāngai sister of Taika Waititi, she is best known for her work co-directing production company Matewa Media, which since 2016 has produced Māori language versions of Disney ...
, whom he considers a sibling, began producing and directing Māori language versions of
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
animated films due to Waititi, which she does alongside his former partner Winstanley.


Filmography


Short films


Feature film


Acting roles


Television


Acting roles


Other works


Music videos

* " Ladies of the World", Flight of the Conchords (2007) * " Mutha'uckas", Flight of the Conchords (2007) * " Leggy Blonde", Flight of the Conchords (2007) * "Shanks’ Pony",
Age Pryor Age Pryor is a New Zealand musician and songwriter. He records and performs solo, he plays many instruments and is a founding member of the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, The Woolshed Sessions, and Congress of Animals, and is also a ...
(2007) * "Bright Grey", The Phoenix Foundation (2007) * "My Imminent Demise",
Luke Buda The Phoenix Foundation is a New Zealand indie rock band formed in Wellington in 1997. History Early years and ''China Cove'' The band was founded by Conrad Wedde, Samuel Flynn Scott, and Luke Buda in 1994 while students at Wellington High ...
(2008) * "40 Years", The Phoenix Foundation (2009) * "World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)",
Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half o ...
(2011) * “My Sweet Lord”,
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
(2021)


Commercials

Waititi has also been a prolific commercial director. He directed Air New Zealand's "The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made" featuring Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood as they go through where ''The Lord of the Rings'' films were shot. The commercial went viral amassing over 19 million views on YouTube. Waititi directed Tesco's "Borg," which features a comical Thor-esque character shopping in the supermarket; he went on to direct Marvel Studios' ''Thor: Ragnarok'' years later. * "Friends Reunited", Friends Reunited (2008) * "Moussaka Rap", Pot Noodle (2008) * "I Wish (That Girls Were More Like Pot Noodles)", Pot Noodle (2008) * "Back with no Appetite", Pot Noodle (2008) * "World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)",
Sour Patch Kids Sour Patch Kids (known as Very Bad Kids in France, and known as Maynards Sour Patch Kids in Canada and previously in the UK) are a brand of soft candy with a coating of invert sugar and sour sugar (a combination of citric acid, tartaric acid, ...
(2011) * "Simply The Best",
Cadbury Dairy Milk Cadbury Dairy Milk is a British brand of milk chocolate manufactured by Cadbury. It was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1905 and now consists of a number of products. Every product in the Dairy Milk line is made with exclusively milk choc ...
(2011) * "Gold", Wispa (2011) * "Superbowl Brotherhood of Man", NBC (2012) * "Pure",
Steinlager Steinlager (sometimes known as Steinlager Classic) is a lager-style beer brewed by Lion in East Tāmaki, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It has won several prizes, notably at beer competitions in the United States, and is New Zealand's big ...
(2012) * "New Girl",
Old Navy Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its ...
(2012) * "Why Choose?",
Old Navy Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its ...
(2012) * "Bee Bots!",
Old Navy Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its ...
(2012) * "Australia Day", Lambnesia (2013) * "State Of The -Ation",
Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...
(2013) * "MIDWULS", Optimum Cable (2013) * "Borg" Tesco (2013) * " Pierce Brosnan", Sky Ireland (2013) * "Blazed", New Zealand Transport Agency (2013) * "#HELLOBEER", Carlton (2013) * "The Kids Party", Nimble (2014) * "The Gas Bill", Nimble (2014) * "The Phone Bill", Nimble (2014) * "Laura", Stop Before You Start (2014) * "Toa", Stop Before You Start (2014) * "Tori", Stop Before You Start (2014) * "Jackson", Stop Before You Start (2014) * "Destiny", Stop Before You Start (2014) * "The Most Epic Safety Video Ever", Air New Zealand (2014) * "Watch It Over and Over", Nova Energy (2014) * "Tinnyvision", New Zealand Transport Agency (2014) * "Choose Your Trebor - Confessions", Trebor Mints (2015) * "Broadband Made Simple",
2degrees 2degrees is a New Zealand telecommunications provider. Its mobile network launched on 4 August 2009 after nine years of planning. 2degrees offers prepaid and pay-monthly mobile services as well as fixed-line phone and broadband services. 2degre ...
(2015) * "Gorgeous Greta", Crazy Domains (2015) * "Kev of All Trades", Crazy Domains (2015) * "Stuff Your Loved Ones", Crazy Domains (2015) * "Taika's Appeal", New Zealand Human Rights Commission (2017) * "Locker room",
DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. I ...
(2018) * "Talk to the Land", Old Spice (2018) * "Stay Cool", Old Spice (2018) * "Voice of Racism", New Zealand Human Rights Commission (2020) * "Coca-Cola Christmas Commercial", Coca-Cola (2020) * "Xbox Series X – Lucid Odyssey", Xbox (2020)


Frequent collaborators


Accolades

Waititi has received various awards and nominations, including an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, a British Academy Film Award, a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
, a Writers Guild of America Award, and nominations for the Golden Globe Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards among others. In 2005, Waititi received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for the short film '' Two Cars, One Night'' (2004). In 2019, he wrote and directed the comedy-drama film '' Jojo Rabbit'', which was met with critical acclaim and earned him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, the
BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The British Academy of Film and Television Arts British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the Briti ...
, and nominations for the
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categ ...
, the Golden Globe Award for Best Musical or Comedy Film and the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film. For the soundtrack of the film, he won the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Since 2019, he has written and produced the television series '' What We Do in the Shadows'', based on the 2014 film of the same name, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series. In the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours, Waititi was appointed an
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have re ...
, for services to film.


See also

*
Time 100 ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, p ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Waititi, Taika 1975 births 21st-century New Zealand writers 21st-century New Zealand male actors 21st-century screenwriters Action film directors Audiobook narrators Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners Best Adapted Screenplay BAFTA Award winners Best Screenplay AACTA International Award winners Comedy film directors English-language film directors Fantasy film directors Grammy Award winners Horror film directors Independent Spirit Award winners Indigenous filmmakers in New Zealand Jewish film people Jewish writers Living people Male motion capture actors Māori-language film directors New Zealand comedians New Zealand film directors New Zealand Jews New Zealand male comedians New Zealand male Māori actors New Zealand male voice actors New Zealand people of Canadian descent New Zealand people of French descent New Zealand people of Irish descent New Zealand people of Russian-Jewish descent New Zealand screenwriters Male screenwriters Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit People educated at Onslow College People from the Bay of Plenty Region Science fiction fans Science fiction film directors Victoria University of Wellington alumni Te Whānau-ā-Apanui people Taika Writers Guild of America Award winners