Cliff Curtis

Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis was born in Rotorua, New Zealand, in 1968. He is of New Zealand Maori descent, with Ngati Hauiti and Te Arawa tribal affiliations. Curtis trained at the New Zealand Drama School and the Teatro Dmitri Scuola in Switzerland. His career began in New Zealand theatre, dance productions, and television dramas. His film debut was in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning film “The Piano” in 1993. He gained further recognition in “Once Were Warriors” (1994) and received his first award for his role as Fraser in “Desperate Remedies” (1994).

Curtis transitioned to international roles, appearing in films such as David O. Russell’s “Three Kings” (1999), Martin Scorsese’s “Bringing Out the Dead” (1999), and Ted Demme’s “Blow” (2001) alongside Johnny Depp. He also starred in Antoine Fuqua’s “Training Day” (2001). In 2002, Curtis played the father character, Porourangi, in the internationally acclaimed film “Whale Rider.” For this role, he received several awards, including Best Actor at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards. His Hollywood career continued with roles in “Collateral Damage” (2002) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Live Free or Die Hard” (2007) with Bruce Willis, and “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022).

In 2004, Curtis co-founded Whenua Films with Ainsley Gardiner, an independent production company focused on promoting New Zealand indigenous filmmaking. This company has produced notable works such as Taika Waititi’s films “Eagle vs Shark” (2007) and “Boy” (2010), and James Napier Robinson’s “The Dark Horse” (2014). For his lead role as Genesis Potini in “The Dark Horse,” Curtis received significant critical acclaim and won Best Actor at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and the Seattle International Film Festival. He also portrayed Travis Manawa in the AMC series “Fear the Walking Dead” from 2015 to 2017. His upcoming projects include “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (2025) and a role as Poseidon in the Netflix series “Kaos” (2024).