| Taika Waititi Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft |
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Date of Birth | August 16, 1975 |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Eye Color | Light Brown |
Taika Waititi is a New Zealander director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and comedian who is best known for his direction of films such as Boy (2010), What We Do in the Shadows (2014), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and Jojo Rabbit (2019). For the last of those films, he won a BAFTA Award as well as an Academy Award in the category of ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’. He has also directed several short films, most notable among them being Two Cars, One Night (2004) which was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of ‘Best Live Action Short Film’. Besides direction, he often acts and performs voice-over roles which includes portraying an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler in Jojo Rabbit (2019) and voicing the character of IG-11 in space western web TV series The Mandalorian (2019–present). The latter performance had earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for ‘Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance’.
Born Name
Taika David Cohen
Nick Name
Taika
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Raukokore, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
Taika had attended the Onslow College in Johnsonville, Wellington, for his secondary education. After his high school graduation, he had attended the Victoria University of Wellington from where he had graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre studies, in 1997.
Occupation
Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Actor, Comedian
Family
- Father – Taika Waititi (Artist, Farmer)
- Mother – Robin Cohen (School Teacher)
- Others – Eruiti Taika/Edward Waititi (Paternal Grandfather), Matewa Delamere (Paternal Grandmother), David Cohen (Maternal Grandfather), Bertha Mary Bond (Maternal Grandmother), John Winstanley (Father-in-Law) (Home Renovator), Cherry Wilson (Mother-in-Law) (Psychotherapist), Tommy Kapai aka Tommy Wilson (Uncle-in-Law) (Children’s Author), Kiri Allan (Cousin-in-Law) (Politician, Lawyer, Member of the New Zealand Parliament)
Build
Slim
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
75 kg or 165.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Taika has dated –
- Chelsea Winstanley (2011–2018) – Taika got married to New Zealander film producer and director Chelsea Winstanley in 2011. They have 2 daughters together named Te Hinekāhu (b. May 2012) and Matewa Kiritapu (b. August 2015). They secretly separated after 6 years of marriage in 2018.
- Rita Ora (2021-Present) – In May 2021, Taika was first rumored to be dating singer Rita Ora after they were seen together in an Instagram post shared by Rita. They were confirmed to be a couple after they stepped out together, later in the month, in Sydney. On the 4th of July party hosted by Rita, Rita and Taika made their first official appearance together. In August 2021, they had made their first major red carpet appearance during The Suicide Squad premiere. In August 2022, it was rumored that the couple had tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in London. In January 2023, during an interview, Rita confirmed that they were married.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui (Māori tribe), French-Canadian, and, distant British descent on his father’s side and Irish, English, Scottish, Northern Irish, and Ashkenazi Jewish descent on his mother’s side.
Hair Color
Salt-and-Pepper
Eye Color
Light Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Tousled, wavy hair
- Often sports a beard or a mustache
- Affable smile
Taika Waititi Facts
- His first name, Taika, in Māori means ‘Tiger’. It also means ‘Magic’ in Finnish.
- Before directing the superhero film Thor: Ragnarok (2017), he had been involved with another film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He had written and directed the mid-credits scene for Doctor Strange (2016) but was uncredited.
- When he won an Academy Award for Jojo Rabbit (2019), in the category of ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’, he became the first person of Māori descent to achieve the feat.
- The mockumentary horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows (2014) that was produced, co-written, and co-directed by Taika was later adapted into a TV series of the same name (2019–present). He had directed 3 episodes in the show’s 1st season and the series was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the category of ‘Outstanding Comedy Series’.
- In March 2022, Taika was honored with the “Television Showperson of the Year” award at the ICG Publicists Guild Awards.
Featured Image by Taika Waititi / Instagram
