Cliff Curtis is a New Zealand actor who was born on July 27, 1968, in Rotorua, New Zealand. He is of Māori descent, with his tribal affiliations being Te Arawa and Ngāti Hauiti.
Curtis began his acting career in New Zealand in the late 1980s, appearing in a number of local television shows and films. He gained wider recognition in the 1990s with his roles in the New Zealand films “Once Were Warriors” and “Whale Rider.”
He is also known for his roles on television, including “Trauma,” “Fear the Walking Dead,” and “The Walking Dead: World Beyond.”
In addition to his acting career, Curtis is also involved in various philanthropic and community projects. He was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 for his services to film.
What is Cliff Curtis known for?
Curtis has appeared in a wide range of films and television programs. Curtis began performing in musicals like Man of La Mancha and Fiddler on the Roof. In the Academy Award-nominated movie The Piano, Curtis made his big-screen debut.
His filmography features a long number of important modern Kiwi films, including Once Were Warriors (1994), Whale Rider (2002), and the critically praised drama The Dark Horse (2014).
As a talented character actor, he has had a long-running career in Hollywood, appearing in notable films including Three Kings (1999), Blow (2001), Training Day (2001), and action blockbusters like Live Free or Die Hard (2007), The Meg (2018), and Hobbs & Shaw (2019).
Is Cliff Curtis in Avatar 2?
Cliff was officially announced as Tonowari, the Metkayina Clan’s leader, in the Avatar sequels in 2017.
In Avatar 2, Curtis co-stars as Tonowari, the chief of the reef people, or Metkayina clan, who live in the underwater setting where most of the action takes place in the high-budget sequel. He’ll play the same part in Avatar 3.