Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), also known as Taika Waititi , is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor and comedian. He has been awarded with a BAFTA and an Academy Award. He often acts in the movies he writes and directs.
Life and career
Waititi was born in Raukokore in the Bay of Plenty, North Island. His father was Māori. His mother is of Russian Jewish and Irish ancestry. He calls himself a "Polynesian Jew." He married Chelsea Winstanley in 2011. The couple have two daughters.
Waititi wrote and directed the short movie Two Cars, One Night (2004). It was nominated with an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. He later moved into acting, directing and writing in feature movies. His movies include Eagle vs Shark (2007), Boy (2010), What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). In 2017, Waititi directed the superhero movie Thor: Ragnarok. He has also had acting roles in The Strip, Freaky, The Mandalorian and Rick and Morty.
Waititi wrote, directed, produced and starred as Adolf Hitler in Jojo Rabbit (2019). The movie won the Best Adapted Screenplay at the BAFTA Awards as well as the Oscars. Jojo Rabbit was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.