Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Cliff Curtis(I)

  • Actor
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,0003
Cliff Curtis
A research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean sees their voyage spiral into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal Megs and relentless environmental plunderers, our heroes must outrun, outsmart, and outswim their merciless predators in a pulse-pounding race against time.
Play trailer2:52
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
99+ Videos
99+ Photos
Cliff Curtis was born in Rotorua, New Zealand, on July 27, 1968.

He is of New Zealand Maori descent (with Ngati Hauiti and Te Arawa tribal affiliations). He enrolled at the New Zealand Drama School, and then the Teatro Dmitri Scuola in Switzerland.

After returning to New Zealand from Europe, he was cast in The Piano (1993). Subsequent roles in New Zealand include the camp melodrama Desperate Remedies (1992), the grueling urban drama Once Were Warriors (1994), and the lighthearted comedy Jubilee (2000).

In Hollywood, Curtis has played a range of different roles and ethnicities in films. He plays a Colombian in Blow (2001), an Arab in Three Kings (1999) and The Insider (1999), a Latino in Training Day (2001) and Runaway Jury (2003), and a drug dealer of ambiguous ethnicity in Bringing Out the Dead (1999). However, he is probably best known for his role as Paikea's father Porourangi, in Whale Rider (2002).
BornJuly 27, 1968
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJuly 27, 1968
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,0003
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 8 wins & 5 nominations

    Go Behind the Scenes of "Fear the Walking Dead"

    Go Behind the Scenes of "Fear the Walking Dead"

    It's not all doom and gloom (and zombies). Revisit happier times with our gallery of "Fear the Walking Dead" behind-the-scenes photos.
    See the full gallery
    Production art
    Photos

    Photos242

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 238
    View Poster

    Known for

    Joseph Fiennes in Risen (2016)
    Risen
    6.3
    • Yeshua
    • 2016
    Cillian Murphy in Sunshine (2007)
    Sunshine
    7.2
    • Searle
    • 2007
    Cliff Curtis in The Dark Horse (2014)
    The Dark Horse
    7.4
    • Genesis
    • 2014
    Zoe Saldana in Colombiana (2011)
    Colombiana
    6.4
    • Emilio Restrepo
    • 2011

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor

    • Avatar: Fire and Ash
      • Tonowari
      • Post-production
      • 2025
    • Avatar 4
      • Tonowari
      • Post-production
      • 2029
    • Avatar 5
      • Tonowari
      • In Production
      • 2031
    • Chief of War
      • Post-production
      • TV Mini Series
    • Jeff Goldblum and Janet McTeer in Kaos (2024)
      Kaos
      7.4
      TV Series
      • Poseidon
      • 2024
    • Jason Flemyng, Cliff Curtis, Temuera Morrison, Toby Parkinson, Miriama Smith, Tim Worrall, Paku Fernandez, Hinerangi Harawira-Nicholas, Te Wakaunua Te Kurapa, Mike Jonathan, and Piripi Curtis in Ka Whawhai Tonu (2024)
      Ka Whawhai Tonu
      7.5
      • Wi Toka
      • 2024
    • Swift Street (2024)
      Swift Street
      5.9
      TV Series
      • Robert
      • 2024
    • Invincible (2021)
      Invincible
      8.7
      TV Series
      • Paul (voice)
      • 2023–2024
    • Jason Statham in Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
      Meg 2: The Trench
      5.0
      • Mac
      • 2023
    • Teagan Croft in True Spirit (2023)
      True Spirit
      6.8
      • Ben Bryant
      • 2023
    • Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Bailey Bass, and Jamie Flatters in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
      Avatar: The Way of Water
      7.5
      • Tonowari
      • 2022
    • Manu Bennett, Cliff Curtis, Simone Kessell, Tame Iti, Jay Ryan, and Ria Paki in Muru (2022)
      Muru
      6.6
      • Sgt 'Taffy' Tawharau
      • 2022
    • Cliff Curtis, Rebecca Ferguson, Hugh Jackman, and Thandiwe Newton in Reminiscence (2021)
      Reminiscence
      5.9
      • Cyrus Boothe
      • 2021
    • Gracija Filipovic in Murina (2021)
      Murina
      6.8
      • Javier
      • 2021
    • Ewan McGregor and Roger Dale Floyd in Doctor Sleep (2019)
      Doctor Sleep
      7.3
      • Billy Freeman
      • 2019
    • Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Dwayne Johnson, Eiza González, and Vanessa Kirby in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
      Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
      6.5
      • Jonah
      • 2019
    • The Meg (2018)
      The Meg
      5.7
      • Mac
      • 2018
    • Kim Dickens and Lennie James in Fear the Walking Dead (2015)
      Fear the Walking Dead
      6.8
      TV Series
      • Travis Manawa
      • 2015–2017
    • Joseph Fiennes in Risen (2016)
      Risen
      6.3
      • Yeshua
      • 2016

    Producer

    • No Maori Allowed
      TV Special
      • producer
      • 2022
    • Class Act
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2019
    • Herbs: Songs of Freedom (2019)
      Herbs: Songs of Freedom
      8.2
      • producer
      • 2019
    • Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen (2018)
      Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen
      7.7
      • executive producer
      • 2018
    • This Is Piki (2016)
      This Is Piki
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2016
    • Cliff Curtis in The Dark Horse (2014)
      The Dark Horse
      7.4
      • executive producer
      • 2014
    • The Fires of Occupation
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2013
    • Manny Perez in Crosstown (2013)
      Crosstown
      5.5
      • executive producer
      • 2013
    • Great Expectations US Poster (2013)
      Great Expectations
      6.3
      • executive producer
      • 2012
    • Te Whakarauora Tangata
      • co-producer
      • 2011
    • James Rolleston in Boy (2010)
      Boy
      7.5
      • producer
      • 2010
    • Taua (2007)
      Taua
      7.0
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2007
    • Loren Taylor and Jemaine Clement in Eagle vs Shark (2007)
      Eagle vs Shark
      6.7
      • producer
      • 2007
    • Hawaikii (2006)
      Hawaikii
      7.0
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2006

    Videos121

    What We Know About 'Avatar 2' ... So Far
    Clip 2:53
    What We Know About 'Avatar 2' ... So Far
    'The Dark Horse': Go Eastern Knights
    Clip 1:01
    'The Dark Horse': Go Eastern Knights
    'The Dark Horse': Go Eastern Knights
    Clip 1:01
    'The Dark Horse': Go Eastern Knights
    Crossing Over: "Raid"
    Clip 0:40
    Crossing Over: "Raid"
    The Dark Horse
    Clip 0:43
    The Dark Horse
    The Dark Horse
    Clip 0:45
    The Dark Horse
    Risen
    Clip 1:09
    Risen

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Alternative name
      • Clifford Curtis
    • Height
      • 1.84 m
    • Born
      • July 27, 1968
      • Rotorua, New Zealand
    • Parents
      • George Curits

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Though he's Maori, he's only played a Maori in a couple of movies, including Whale Rider (2002). He has been cast as many other dark-skinned ethnicities, having played, among others, Mexican-Americans, Colombians, Arabs, Persians, and Chechens.
    • Quotes
      [on Whale Rider (2002)] I've been waiting for this film for a long time. It's fun to go off and put on a disguise and pretend to be someone else, but to be able to get back to myself and my culture, that was just more than really nice, y'know - it was vital.
    • Trademark
        Plays characters of various ethnicities

    FAQ8

    Powered by Alexa
    • How old is Cliff Curtis?
    • When was Cliff Curtis born?
    • Where was Cliff Curtis born?

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2024 by IMDb.com, Inc.