• Source: Nathaniel Lees

Maiava Nathaniel Lees (born 1952) is a New Zealand theatre actor and director and film actor of Samoan descent, best known for film roles in The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and for starring in Young Hercules as Chiron the centaur.




Career


Lees was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He was brought up in an environment where Samoan was commonly spoken, so he grew up thinking of himself as being Samoan. He got his first acting job because of "being brown", as the theatre required brown people running around on stage killing Captain Cook. Part of the audition was him walking through the door, and upon doing so, he "had the job".
He is known for his role as Captain Mifune in The Matrix trilogy and his role as "Uglúk" in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. He has also had roles on the TV series Young Hercules, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. He appeared in 30 Days of Night with Josh Hartnett. He also played Master Mao in the Power Rangers series Power Rangers Jungle Fury. Early television appearances in New Zealand included a regular role in the 1989 series Shark in the Park.
He is also well known for a long career in theatre, having received many prestigious rewards for his contribution to the arts. Lees was one of the influential actors that paved the way for Pacific theatre in New Zealand. In 2004 he was awarded the Senior Pacific Artist Award at the Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika Awards.




Theatre director


Lees was the director of the award winning play Think of a Garden written by John Kneubuhl, performed at the Watershed Theatre in 1993 in Auckland and then again in 1995 produced by Cath Cardiff and performed at Taki Rua Theatre in Wellington 1995. At the prestigious Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards 1995, the play won Production of the Year and Lees was awarded Director of the Year. In 1996, he directed A Frigate Bird Sings co-written by Oscar Kightley and Dave Fane and produced by Makerita Urale for the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts. The set was designed by Kate Peters and Michel Tuffery. The play was nominated for Production of the Year, Director of the Year, and Set Design at the 1996 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. In 2003, Lees directed The Songmaker's Chair by Albert Wendt. He also directed Awhi Tapu, by Māori playwright Albert Belz. Lee's contributed to the bi-lingual play O le pepelo, le gaoi ma le pala'ai, written and co-directed by Ui Natano Keni and Sarita Keo Kossamak So, as part of the 2022 Kia Mau Festival. The company featuring a cast of accomplished artists such as Tusi Tamasese, Semu Filipo, Fiona Collins, Tupua Tigafua, Taofi Mose-Nehemia and emerging artists, Albert Latailakepa, Maurea Perez-Varea, Brett Taefu, Jake Arona, Villa Junior, Lanakila Opetaia-Tiatia.




Filmography


Other Halves (1984) – Court Clerk
Death Warmed Up (1984) – Jackson
Shaker Run (1985) – Squad Commander
Gloss (1987, TV series) - Phil
Chill Factor (1989) – Charles
Rapa-Nui (1994) – Long Ear Chief
Hercules and the Lost Kingdom (1994) – Blue Priest
Bonjour Timothy (1995) – Mr. Wiley
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1996) – Blue Priest
Xena: Warrior Princess (1997) – Niklio
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1997) – Cheiron
Young Hercules (1998) – Cheiron
The Other Side of Heaven (2001) – Kelepi
The Lost World (2001, TV Movie) – Indian chief
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) – Uglúk
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) – Mifune
Liquid Bridge (2003) – Ogitani
The Matrix Revolutions (2003) – Mifune
The Market (2005, TV series) – Ronnie
No. 2 (2006) – Uncle John
Sione's Wedding (2006) – Minister
The Tattooist (2007) – Mr. Perenese
30 Days of Night (2007) – Carter Davies
Power Rangers Jungle Fury (2008, TV Series) – Master Mao (6 episodes)
Journey to Ihipa (2008)
Under the Mountain (2009) – Detective Gray
Sione's 2: Unfinished Business (2012) – Minister
Mr. Pip (2012) – Mr. Jaggers
Realiti (2014) – George
One Thousand Ropes (2016) – Henry Pasi
Everybody Else Is Taken (2016, Short) – Geoffrey
Mortal Engines (2018)
The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith (2019) – Kelepi
The Dead Lands (2020, TV series) – Te Kaipō
Darkest Light (2023) – Superintendent Dean Porter
Sweet Tooth (2024) - Munaqsriri (4 episodes)
The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024) – Sonny Ausage




References






External links


Nathaniel Lees at IMDb

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• The Other Side of Heaven
• The Lord of the Rings (seri film)
• Samoa
• The Matrix Revolutions
• Cowboy Bebop (seri televisi 2021)
• Evolusi manusia
• Daftar komponis
• Nathaniel Lees
• Nathaniel
• The Lord of the Rings (film series)
• Nancy Brunning
• The Tattooist
• The Other Side of Heaven
• The Matrix Revolutions
• The Rule of Jenny Pen
• 30 Days of Night (film)
• Oscar Kightley