Wi Kuki Kaa (16 December 1938 – 19 February 2006) was 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 count ...

actor in film, theatre and television. He was from the Māori iwi of Ngati Porou and Ngati Kahungunu.

Family

Kaa was born in

Rangitukia Rangitukia is a small settlement 10 kilometres south of East Cape in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. It is near the mouth of the Waiapu River. The settlement is an important place in Ngāti Porou and the founding place for Christian m ...

on New Zealand's

East Cape East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is located at the northern end of the Gisborne District of New Zealand's North Island. It can also refer to the broader Gisborne cape. East Cape was originally named "C ...

. His father was the Reverend Tipi Whenua Kaa, from Rangitukia, who was vicar of the Waiapu parish and his mother Hohipene Kaa (formerly Whaanga) was from

Wairoa Wairoa is a town and territorial authority district in New Zealand's North Island. The town is the northernmost in the Hawke's Bay region, and is located on the northern shore of Hawke Bay at the mouth of the Wairoa River and to the west of ...

. He was one of 12 children: his siblings include the writer and te reo advocate Keri Kaa,

Hone Kaa Archdeacon Hone Kaa (9 April 1941 – 29 March 2012) was an Auckland-based Anglican church leader, child welfare advocate and social-justice campaigner. He was a Māori of Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu descent. Born to Rev. Tipi (whenua) ...

, an Anglican church leader, child welfare advocate, and

Arapera Blank Arapera Hineira Blank (; 7 June 1932 – 30 July 2002) was a New Zealand poet, short-story writer and teacher. She wrote in both Māori language, te reo Māori and English, and was one of the first Māori writers to be published in English. Her ...

, a writer and poet.

Career

Kaa featured in many films, including the lead role of 'Iwi' in ''

Ngati ''Ngati'' is a 1987 New Zealand feature film directed by Barry Barclay, written by Tama Poata and produced by John O'Shea. Production ''Ngati'' is of historical and cultural significance in New Zealand as it is the first feature film written an ...

'' (1987), written by

Tama Poata Tama may mean: Languages * Tama language, the language of the Sudanese Tama people * Tama languages, a language family of northern Papua New Guinea Music * Tama Drums, a Japanese brand manufactured by Hoshino Gakki * Tama (percussion), a type of ...

and directed by

Barry Barclay Barry Ronald Barclay, New Zealand Order of Merit, MNZM (12 May 1944 – 19 February 2008) was a New Zealand filmmaker and writer of Māori people, Māori (Ngāti Apa) and Pākehā (European) descent. Background Barclay was born in Masterton and ra ...

. Kaa won the "Best Film Performance, Male" at the 1988 New Zealand Film and TV Awards for this role, and in 1987 alongside Barclay, Poata and producer

John O'Shea John Francis O'Shea (; born 30 April 1981) is an Irish professional football coach and former player. He was known for his versatility in playing several positions on either side of the pitch or the centre. Born in Waterford, O'Shea joined Man ...

attended a screening at

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

in the Critics Week programme. He also played a lead role in the film ''

Utu Utu (dUD "Sun"), also known under the Akkadian name Shamash, ''šmš'', syc, ܫܡܫܐ ''šemša'', he, שֶׁמֶשׁ ''šemeš'', ar, شمس ''šams'', Ashurian Aramaic: 𐣴𐣬𐣴 ''š'meš(ā)'' was the ancient Mesopotamian sun god. ...

'' (1983) directed by

Geoff Murphy Geoffrey Peter Murphy (12 October 1938 – 3 December 2018) was a New Zealand filmmaker, producer, director, and screenwriter best known for his work during the renaissance of New Zealand cinema that began in the second half of the 1970s. His s ...

. Kaa featured in the music video ''Little Things'' by Wellington roots dub band Trinity Roots. In 2006, Kaa died in

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 me ...

aged 67.

Filmography

Film

*''

Inn of the Damned ''Inn of the Damned'' is a 1975 Australian western horror film, directed by Terry Bourke. It has been called Australia's first "horror Western". Plot In 1896, a crazed woman and her husband run an inn in eastern Victoria and take revenge for t ...

'' (1975) - Tom *''

'' (1983) - Wiremu *'' The Bounty'' (1984) - King Tynah *'' Kingpin'' (1985) - Mr Nathan *''

'' (1987) - Iwi *'' Linda's Body'' (1990, Short) - Hemi *'' Te Rau'' (1991) - Rewi Marangai *'' Turangawaewae'' (2002) - Tiare (Koro) *''

River Queen ''River Queen'' is a 2005 New Zealand-British war drama film directed by Vincent Ward and starring Samantha Morton, Kiefer Sutherland, Cliff Curtis, Temuera Morrison and Stephen Rea. The film opened to mixed reviews but performed well at t ...

'' (2005) - Old Rangi

Television

*''

Homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

'' (1971) - Rollo *''

Spyforce ''Spyforce'' is an Australian television series that aired from 1971 to 1973 on Nine Network. The series was based upon the adventures of Australian Military Intelligence operatives in the South West Pacific during World War II. It was produced ...

'' (1973) - Matthas / Hiromoto / Nikolu Yaratomo / Colonel Mayusaki / Sergeant Shikoya *'' Silent Number'' (1974) - Tony *''

Worzel Gummidge Down Under ''Worzel Gummidge Down Under'' is a New Zealand-British television series adapted from the books written by Barbara Euphan Todd and the British fantasy series television programme produced and broadcast in the United Kingdom named ''Worzel Gummid ...

'' (1986–1987) - Travelling Scarecrow Maker *''

The Diamond of Jeru ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' (2001, TV Movie) - Inghai *''

The Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city ...

'' (2002) - Bible Bill *'' Der Liebe entgegen'' (2002, TV Movie) - Henry Tufare

References

External links

* New Zealand male stage actors New Zealand male film actors New Zealand male television actors 1938 births 2006 deaths New Zealand male Māori actors Ngāti Porou people Ngāti Kahungunu people {{Māori-bio-stub