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IMDbPro

John Callen

  • Actor
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
John Callen at an event for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Trailer 2 for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Play trailer2:26
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
9 Videos
19 Photos
John has worked for 40 years as a professional actor, director and writer in theatre, radio, film and television. He has performed in or directed more than 100 stage productions and more than two dozen television series, and narrated close to 150 documentaries.

John has also appeared in a number of films including Pictures, The Sinking Of The Rainbow Warrior, Treasure Island Kids, Fly, The Man Who Lost His Head and Love Birds.

John was awarded Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor by Wellington theatre critics, and Best Actor in a Short Film. He was also named Critics' Choice for his portrayal of Macbeth. His experience as actor or director has covered everything from the absurd to the classical, including roles as Shylock and Polonius. And now he is relishing his experience playing the dwarf Oin in the core cast of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.

John's voiceover work includes narrating almost 150 documentaries for National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet and other local and international producers and broadcasters.

Major directing credits include Shortland Street, Comedy Central, Epitaph, Jackson's Wharf, The Tribe, Taonga and The Kiwi Who Saved Britain. He has also directed more than 50 television commercials and corporate A/Vs.

John has also worked as a lecturer at the NZ Drama School - Toi Whakaari, Unitec's School of Performing and Screen Arts and the University of Auckland.

In between all these engagements he is also in demand for commercial and corporate voice work and reads Talking Books for the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Awards
    • 2 wins & 2 nominations

Photos19

Jed Brophy, John Callen, Martin Freeman, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Dean O'Gorman, Ken Stott, Stephen Hunter, Aidan Turner, and Adam Brown in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Jed Brophy, John Callen, Martin Freeman, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, Graham McTavish, Dean O'Gorman, Ken Stott, Stephen Hunter, and Aidan Turner in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Richard Armitage, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Dean O'Gorman, Ken Stott, and Aidan Turner in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
Richard Armitage, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Dean O'Gorman, Stephen Hunter, Luke Evans, Aidan Turner, and Adam Brown in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
Ian McKellen, John Callen, and Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
John Callen, Martin Freeman, William Kircher, Graham McTavish, and James Nesbitt in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Jed Brophy, John Callen, Martin Freeman, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Dean O'Gorman, Ken Stott, Stephen Hunter, Bret McKenzie, Aidan Turner, and Adam Brown in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Ian McKellen, Jed Brophy, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Graham McTavish, and Ken Stott in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
John Callen, Dean O'Gorman, Stephen Hunter, and Aidan Turner in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Richard Armitage, John Callen, Graham McTavish, and Ken Stott in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
John Callen in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Richard Armitage, Jed Brophy, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Dean O'Gorman, Ken Stott, Stephen Hunter, Aidan Turner, and Adam Brown in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Known for

Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
7.8
  • Oin
  • 2012
Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Evangeline Lilly, and Luke Evans in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
7.8
  • Oin
  • 2013
Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
7.4
  • Oin
  • 2014
June (2021)
June
7.8
Short
  • Doctor Samuels
  • 2021

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Eve Palmer and Grace Palmer in Good Grief (2021)
    Good Grief
    • Ed
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Brooke Williams and Matthew Walker in Love Knots (2021)
    Love Knots
    • Ted
    • TV Movie
    • 2021
  • June (2021)
    June
    • Doctor Samuels
    • Short
    • 2021
  • Marton Csokas, Ewen Leslie, Eva Green, Eve Hewson, and Himesh Patel in The Luminaries (2020)
    The Luminaries
    • Customs Officer
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2020
  • Neill Rea, Nic Sampson, and Fern Sutherland in The Brokenwood Mysteries (2014)
    The Brokenwood Mysteries
    • K.L Carnaby
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Straight Forward (2019)
    Straight Forward
    • Bruno
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Touch Wood (2018)
    Touch Wood
    • Grandpa Charlie
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Twenty One Points (2018)
    Twenty One Points
    • Homeless Bob
    • Short
    • 2018
  • Kate Harcourt and Desmond Kelly in The Pact (2018)
    The Pact
    • Extra #1
    • Short
    • 2018
  • Moe's Christmas (2017)
    Moe's Christmas
    • Santa
    • TV Movie
    • 2017
  • Syrenia (2015)
    Syrenia
    • Poppa Joseph
    • 2015
  • Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
    The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
    • Oin
    • 2014
  • Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Evangeline Lilly, and Luke Evans in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    • Oin
    • 2013
  • Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
    • Oin
    • 2012
  • Love Birds (2011)
    Love Birds
    • Professor Craddock
    • 2011

Director

  • Stephen Papps in The Kiwi Who Saved Britian (2010)
    The Kiwi Who Saved Britian
    • Director
    • 2010
  • Shortland Street (1992)
    Shortland Street
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 1999–2004
  • Jackson's Wharf (1999)
    Jackson's Wharf
    • Director (six episodes)
    • TV Series
    • 2000
  • Meryl Cassie, Caleb Ross, Victoria Spence, and Michael Wesley-Smith in The Tribe (1999)
    The Tribe
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 2000

Producer

  • Anya Banerjee in Balloons (2016)
    Balloons
    • executive producer
    • Short
    • 2016

Videos9

John Callen demo reel
Demo Reel 2:00
John Callen demo reel
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Clip 1:05
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Clip 1:05
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Clip 0:52
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Clip 1:11
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Clip 1:08
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Trailer 2:26
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Featurette 1:39
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Promo 0:31
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Personal details

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  • Height
    • 5′ 11¼″ (1.81 m)

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