Taika Waititi

Taika David Cohen ONZM (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi, is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is known for directing quirky comedy films and has expanded his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects. He has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, as well as two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.

His feature films "Boy" (2010) and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" (2016) have each been the top-grossing New Zealand films. 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 directing credits include the superhero films "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) and "Thor: Love and Thunder" (2022) as well as the black comedy film "Jojo Rabbit" (2019), the last of which he also wrote and starred in as an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler. "Jojo Rabbit" received six Academy Award nominations and won Best Adapted Screenplay. 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," and directed, executive produced, and starred 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, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance.

Waititi has described himself as a Polynesian Jew, as his father is Maori and his mother has both Irish and Russian Jewish heritage.