Cliff Curtis
| Cliff Curtis | |
|---|---|
Curtis in 2026
| |
| Born | Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis 27 July 1968 Rotorua, New Zealand |
| Education | Toi Whakaari (BFA) |
| Occupations | Actor producer |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Toby Curtis (uncle) |
Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis (born 27 July 1968) is a New Zealand actor and film producer. After working in theatre, he made his film debut in Jane Campion's Oscar-winning film The Piano (1993), followed by a breakout role in the drama Once Were Warriors (1994). He has won four New Zealand Film Awards, Best Actor for Jubilee (2000) and The Dark Horse (2014)—which also earned him the Asia Pacific Screen Award—and Best Supporting Actor for Desperate Remedies (1993) and Whale Rider (2002).
Curtis' international film credits include Three Kings, Bringing Out the Dead (both 1999), Blow, Training Day (both 2001), Collateral Damage (2002), Sunshine, Live Free or Die Hard (both 2007), Push, Crossing Over (both 2009), Colombiana (2011), Hobbs & Shaw, and Doctor Sleep (both 2019), also portraying James "Mac" Mackreides in The Meg (2018) and Meg 2: The Trench (2023) and Tonowari in the Avatar series (2022–present).
He had television series roles on NBC's Trauma and ABC's Body of Proof and Missing. From 2015 to 2017, he portrayed Travis Manawa on the AMC horror drama series Fear the Walking Dead. Curtis is also the co-owner of the independent New Zealand production company Whenua Films.
Early life and education
Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis was born in Rotorua on 27 July 1968,[1] one of eight children born into a family of Māori descent.[2] His tribal affiliations are Te Arawa[3] and Ngāti Hauiti.[4] His uncle was Māori leader and educator Toby Curtis.[5]
As a child, he studied mau rākau—a traditional Māori martial art involving taiaha combat—under elder Mita Mohi on Mokoia Island.[6] This training informed his early performances in kapa haka. He subsequently competed in breakdancing and rock 'n' roll dance competitions, winning national titles in the late 1980s.[7]
Curtis received his secondary education at Edmund Rice College, Rotorua, before enrolling at the New Zealand Drama School, Toi Whakaari, where he graduated with a Diploma in Acting in 1989.[8]
Career
New Zealand
Curtis started acting in amateur productions of musicals Fiddler on the Roof and Man of La Mancha with the Kapiti Players and the Mantis Cooperative Theatre Company, before attending the New Zealand Drama School and Teatro Dimitri Scuola in Switzerland. He worked at a number of New Zealand theatre companies, including Downstage, Mercury Theatre, Bats Theatre, and Centre Point. His stage roles include Happy End, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Othello, The Cherry Orchard, Porgy and Bess, Weeds, Macbeth, Serious Money, and The End of the Golden Weather.
His first feature film role was a small part in the Oscar-nominated Jane Campion film The Piano. He went on to win attention in Once Were Warriors, one of the most successful films released on New Zealand screens; the line "Uncle fucken Bully" referring to Curtis's character spoken by "Jake the Muss", played by Temuera Morrison, became one of New Zealand film's most memorable and quoted lines, as well as being part of the "Kiwiana" trend. He played Kahu in the short-film Kahu & Maia, a contemporary depiction of a Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Rongomaiwahine legend. He played a seducer in the melodrama Desperate Remedies. In 2000 Curtis starred as family man Billy Williams in Jubilee,[9] before playing father to the lead character in the international hit Whale Rider.
In 2004 with producer Ainsley Gardiner, Curtis formed independent film production company Whenua Films.[10] The goals of the company are to support the growth of the New Zealand indigenous film-making scene, and support local short filmmakers. He and Gardiner were appointed to manage the development and production of films for the Short Films Fund for 2005–06 by the New Zealand Film Commission. They have produced several shorts under the new company banner, notably Two Cars, One Night, which received an Academy Award nomination in 2005, and Hawaikii by director Mike Jonathan in 2006. Both short films circulated through many of the prestigious international film festivals like the Berlinale.
At the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, Miramax Films bought US distribution rights to relationship comedy Eagle vs Shark, the first feature film directed by Taika Waititi. Waititi's follow-up feature Boy, also from Whenua Films, went on to become the highest grossing New Zealand film released.[11]
In 2014, Curtis played the lead role in The Dark Horse, which the National Radio review called "one of the greatest New Zealand films ever made."[12] The New Zealand Herald praised him for his "towering performance"[13] as real-life Gisborne speed chess player and coach Genesis Potini, who died in 2011. Curtis studied chess and deliberately put on weight for the role.
International
Curtis has appeared in the films Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Three Kings (1999), the drug drama Blow (2001) with Johnny Depp, Training Day (2001), Collateral Damage (2002) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Live Free or Die Hard (2007), Sunshine (2007), Push (2009), “10,000 B.C.” (2008) the re-make, and Colombiana (2011). In M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender (2010), he played the main villain, Fire Lord Ozai.[14] Curtis portrayed Lt. Cortez in the film Last Knights (2015) and Jesus Christ in the film Risen (2016).[15]
In the NBC TV drama Trauma,[16] he played daredevil flight medic Reuben "Rabbit" Palchuck.[17] Curtis was cast as Travis Manawa, a leading male role of the AMC TV series Fear the Walking Dead,[18][19] the spin-off of The Walking Dead.[20]
In 2017, Curtis was cast as Tonowari and is set to appear in the four sequels to Avatar, including Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash.[21]
In 2019, he played Jonah Hobbs, the brother of Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw; their characters are Samoan.[22]
In 2023, Curtis starred in the Netflix film True Spirit, alongside Teagan Croft and Anna Paquin, based on the journey of Jessica Watson, a 16-year-old Australian sailor attempting a solo global circumnavigation. In 2024, Curtis starred in the Netflix series Kaos, as the Greek God Poseidon.
Personal life
He was married in late 2009[23] in a private ceremony at his home, and has four children. He is Roman Catholic.[24]
When asked about being an "all-purpose ethnic" actor, he said, "It's been a real advantage, I love being ethnic, I love the colour of my skin. There are limitations in the business, that's a reality, but I've been given such wonderful opportunities."[25]
Filmography
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Piano | Mana | |
| Desperate Remedies | Fraser | ||
| 1994 | Kahu & Maia | Kahu | |
| Once Were Warriors | Uncle Bully | ||
| Rapa Nui | Short Ears | ||
| 1996 | Chicken | Zeke | |
| Mananui | Mana | ||
| 1998 | Deep Rising | Mamooli | |
| Six Days, Seven Nights | Kip | ||
| 1999 | Virus | Hiko | |
| Three Kings | Amir Abdulah | ||
| Bringing Out the Dead | Cy Coates | ||
| The Insider | Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah | Credited as 'Clifford Curtis' | |
| 2000 | Jubilee | Billy Williams | |
| 2001 | Blow | Pablo Escobar | |
| Training Day | "Smiley" | ||
| The Majestic | The Evil But Handsome Prince Khalid | ||
| 2002 | Collateral Damage | Claudio "El Lobo" Perrini | |
| Whale Rider | Porourangi | ||
| 2003 | Runaway Jury | Frank Herrera | |
| 2004 | Fracture | Detective Franklin | |
| Spooked | Mort Whitman | ||
| Heinous Crime | Pizza Delivery Man | ||
| 2005 | The Pool | Husband | |
| River Queen | Wiremu | ||
| 2006 | The Fountain | Captain Ariel | |
| 2007 | Sunshine | Searle | |
| Fracture | Detective Flores | ||
| Live Free or Die Hard | FBI Deputy Director Miguel Bowman | ||
| 2008 | 10,000 BC | Tic'Tic | |
| 2009 | Push | Hook Waters | |
| Crossing Over | Hamid Baraheri | ||
| 2010 | The Last Airbender | Fire Lord Ozai | |
| 2011 | Colombiana | Emilio Restrepo | |
| 2012 | A Thousand Words | Dr. Sinja | |
| 2014 | The Dark Horse | Genesis Potini | |
| 2015 | Last Knights | Lieutenant Cortez | |
| 2016 | Risen | Yeshua | |
| 2018 | The Meg | James "Mac" Mackreides | |
| 2019 | Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw | Jonah Hobbs | |
| Doctor Sleep | Billy Freeman | ||
| 2021 | Reminiscence | Cyrus Boothe | |
| Murina | Javier | ||
| 2022 | Muru | Sergent "Taffy" Tawharau | |
| Avatar: The Way of Water | Tonowari | ||
| 2023 | True Spirit | Ben Bryant | |
| Meg 2: The Trench | James "Mac" Mackreides | ||
| 2024 | Ka Whawhai Tonu | Wi Toka | [26] |
| 2025 | Last Breath | Andre Jenson | |
| Avatar: Fire and Ash | Tonowari |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Undercover | Zip | Television film |
| 1994 | Hercules in the Underworld | Nessus | |
| 1995 | Mysterious Island | Peter | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | City Life | Daniel Freeman | 4 episodes |
| 1998 | The Chosen | Father Tahere | Television film |
| 2002 | Point of Origin | Mike Camello | |
| 2004 | Traffic | Adam Kadyrov | 3 episodes |
| 2004–2009 | bro'Town | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | Trauma | Reuben "Rabbit" Palchuk | 20 episodes |
| 2011 | Body of Proof | FBI Agent Derek Ames | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Missing | Agent Dax Miller | 10 episodes |
| 2014 | Gang Related | Javier Acosta | 13 episodes |
| 2015–2017 | Fear the Walking Dead | Travis Manawa | 21 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | Talking Dead | Himself | 3 episodes |
| 2023–present | Invincible | Paul (voice) | 12 episodes |
| 2024 | Swift Street | Robert | 8 episodes |
| 2024 | Kaos | Poseidon | 8 episodes |
| 2025 | Chief of War | Keōua | 3 episodes (current release) |
| 2026 | Monarch: Legacy of Monsters | Jason Trissop | 3 episodes |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Cagegory | Work | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | New Zealand Film and TV Awards | Best Performance in a Supporting Role: Male | Desperate Remedies | Won | |
| 2000 | Best Actor | Jubilee | Won | ||
| 2003 | Best Supporting Actor | Whale Rider | Won | ||
| 2006 | New Zealand Screen Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | River Queen | Nominated | |
| 2008 | New Zealand Film and TV Awards | Best Picture - Budget over $1 Million | Eagles vs Shark | Nominated | Producer |
| 2010 | Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Children's Feature Film | Boy | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Razzie Awards | Worst Screen Couple/Worst Screen Ensemble | The Last Airbender | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Performance by an Actor | The Dark Horse | Won | |
| New Zealand Film and TV Awards | Best Actor | Won | |||
| 2015 | Golden Space Needle Award | Won | |||
| Asian Film Festival Barcelona | Special Mention | Won | |||
| 2017 | MovieGuide Awards | Most Inspiring Performance in Movies | Risen | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Septimius Awards | Best Oceanian Actor | Muru | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Asia Pacific Screen Awards | FIAPF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film | N/A | Won | |
| 2025 | Red Nation Film Festival | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in Leading Role | In the Fire of War | Nominated |
References
- Back to citation "Curtis, Clifford Vivian Devon, 1968–". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- Back to citation Haines, Leah (12 February 2006). "Cliff Curtis, the megastar with a mortgage". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- Back to citation ""Don't cry for me, Waititi" says Pita Sharples". Scoop. 25 January 2007. Archived from the original on 27 January 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- Back to citation Michael Cugley (24 November 2022). "Māori and indigenous cultures shine in Avatar sequel". teaonews.co.nz.
- Back to citation Nicholas, Jill (8 December 2013). "Our people: Toby Curtis". Rotorua Daily Post. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- Back to citation "Mita Mohi: A Gentle and Dedicated Warrior". Great Te Arawa Stories. Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru Education Trust. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- Back to citation "The Dark Horse: Cliff's Edge". The NZ Herald. 26 July 2014. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- Back to citation "Graduate". toiwhakaari.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- Back to citation "...a funny, warm-hearted comedy set in heartland New Zealand..." Archived 5 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine, New Zealand Film Commission
- Back to citation "Whenua Films". Whenua Films. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- Back to citation "Wellington director's feature to be the highest-grossing NZ production". Wellington.scoop.co.nz. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- Back to citation "Film review with Dan Slevin". Radio New Zealand National. 24 July 2014. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
- Back to citation Baillie, Russell (31 July 2014). "Movie review: The Dark Horse". The New Zealand Herald.
- Back to citation Hibberd, James (4 December 2014). "'Walking Dead' spinoff casts male lead". Entertainment Weekly.
- Back to citation Moore, Debi (29 March 2015). "News: See the First Teaser for AMC's Fear the Walking Dead". Dread Central. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- Back to citation "Cliff Curtis starred as daredevil flight medic Reuben "Rabbit" Palchuck..." NBC. 14 July 2010. Archived from the original on 9 December 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- Back to citation Prudom, Laura (2014). "The Walking Dead' Companion Series Casts Cliff Curtis as Male Lead". Variety. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
- Back to citation Ross, Dalton (11 August 2015). "Cliff Curtis explains why Fear the Walking Dead is more than a zombie show". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- Back to citation "AMC's 'Fear the Walking Dead' Begins Production in Vancouver" (Press release). AMC. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- Back to citation MrDisgusting (29 March 2015). "'Fear The Walking Dead' Trailer: Get Your Flu Shot!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- Back to citation "'Fear the Walking Dead' Star Cast in All Four 'Avatar' Sequels". Entertainment Weekly. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- Back to citation Davis, Brandon (27 January 2019). "'Hobbs And Shaw' Casts Cliff Curtis As A Hobbs, More Brothers Revealed". ComicBook. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- Back to citation "Cliff Curtis' NZ wedding". The New Zealand Herald. 3 January 2010. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- Back to citation "Cliff Curtis discusses playing Jesus in new film Risen". Stuff (company). 14 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- Back to citation Beale, Lewis (1 April 2016). "'Fear the Walking Dead's' Cliff Curtis talks ethnic roles". Newsday. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- Back to citation "Ka Whawhai Tonu". New Zealand Film Commission. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.