Temuera Morrison | |
|---|---|
 Morrison in 2016 | |
| Born | Temuera Derek Morrison (1960-12-26)26 December 1960 (age 65) Rotorua, New Zealand |
| Other names | Tem |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Known for |
|
| Partner | Angela Dotchin (1997–2002) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
|
Temuera Derek MorrisonMNZM (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor who first gained recognition in his home country for playingDr. Hone Ropata on the soap operaShortland Street. He garnered critical acclaim for starring as Jake "The Muss" Heke in the 1994 filmOnce Were Warriors and its 1999 sequelWhat Becomes of the Broken Hearted?.
Outside of New Zealand, Morrison is best known for his work in theStar Wars multimedia franchise, playing the roles ofJango Fett and his many genetic clones, including theclone troopers and Jango's clone sonBoba Fett. He originated the role of Jango in the 2002 filmAttack of the Clones. Morrison voiced Boba Fett in the 2004 re-release ofThe Empire Strikes Back,variousStar Wars video games, and portrayed Boba fully in thesecond season ofThe Mandalorian (2019–present) and the spin-off showThe Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022). In 2022, he had a recurring role in the black ops thriller seriesEcho 3. Morrison is known for voicing Chief Tui, the father of theMoana inDisney'sMoana (2016), and for playingArthur Curry's fatherTom Curry in theDCEU filmsAquaman (2018),The Flash (2023), andAquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).
Morrison was born on 26 December 1960[1] in the town ofRotorua, on theNorth Island of New Zealand. He is the son of Hana Morrison (née Stafford), and musician Laurie Morrison. He isMāori, ofTe Arawa (Ngāti Whakaue) andTainui (Ngāti Maniapoto,Ngāti Rarua)whakapapa, and also hasScottish andIrish ancestry.[2][3] His sister was performerTaini Morrison and his uncle was musicianSir Howard Morrison. His secondary education took place atWesley College, Auckland, andWestern Heights High School, Rotorua.
Morrison's film debut is the 1973 filmRangi's Catch, playing the title character. He trained in drama under the New Zealand Special Performing Arts Training Scheme. One of his earliest starring roles was in the 1988 filmNever Say Die, oppositeLisa Eilbacher. After this he playedDr. Hone Ropata on the television soap operaShortland Street from 1992 to 1995.
In 1994, he received attention for his role as the violently abusive Māori husband Jake "The Muss" Heke inOnce Were Warriors, a film adaptation ofAlan Duff's novelOnce Were Warriors. The film became the most successful local release in New Zealand, and sold to many countries. The role won him international acclaim and he received the award for best male performance in a dramatic role at the 1994New Zealand Film and Television Awards. He reprised the role in the sequel,What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, for which he received the Best Actor award from the New Zealand Film Awards. Morrison said in 2010 that he felt typecast by the role, to the point that it was "a millstone round my neck".[4] In 1996, he appeared in the Pamela Anderson filmBarb Wire.[5]
He has appeared in supporting roles inSpeed 2: Cruise Control (1997) andThe Beautiful Country (2004). In 2005, Morrison became the host of the talk showThe Tem Show on New Zealand television.
In the1996 Queen's Birthday Honours, Morrison was appointed a Member of theNew Zealand Order of Merit, for services to drama.[6]
He started writing an autobiography in 2009, which he hoped would inspire others to "reach for the stars".[7]
He released his debut album,Tem, through Sony Music Entertainment NZ in late November 2014. It consists of covers of songs that his father, and uncleSir Howard Morrison, had performed at local venues when he was growing up.[8]
Morrison became widely known outside of New Zealand with his role as bounty hunterJango Fett in the 2002 filmStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Part of the plot involves anarmy of clones created with Jango's DNA, so Morrison also provided the voice acting for the clones.[9] He reappeared as several clones inStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and re-recorded the lines of the characterBoba Fett (Jango's clone "son") in the 2004 DVD re-releases of the originalStar Wars trilogy, replacing the voice ofJason Wingreen.
Morrison has since portrayed Jango Fett and his clones in severalStar Wars video games, all produced byLucasArts. He played the clone commando "Boss" inStar Wars: Republic Commando (2005), voiced all the troopers inStar Wars: Battlefront (2004), and voiced both Jango and Boba Fett in its sequel,Battlefront II (2005). Morrison reprised his role as Jango inStar Wars: Bounty Hunter (2002), a game centered around the character, andLEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (2005), along with his clones, but was uncredited in the latter. He voiced Boba in the 2006 gameStar Wars: Empire at War, andDICE'sStar Wars Battlefront (2015) andBattlefront II (2017), the latter of which were produced byEA.
Morrison physically portrayed Boba Fett for the first time in thesecond season ofThe Mandalorian (2020).[10] In the show, Morrison portrays an aged, weathered version of the character.[11] Morrison's Fett has heavy scars on his face, and wears dark robes before reclaiming and restoring his armor. Morrison says that with the physically worn appearance, he adjusted his voice to be more gravelly, as if Boba's vocal cords were affected by his past traumas. With the role, Morrison was also able to bring a bit of his own Māori culture to Fett's portrayal. In an interview withThe New York Times, he said that he "wanted to bring that kind of spirit and energy, which we call wairua, [to the role]"[11] and used that influence in his on-screen fight scenes, both in the hand-to-hand combat and while wielding weapons.
In 2020, a spinoff of the seriesThe Mandalorian was announced, titledThe Book of Boba Fett.[12] Morrison reprises his role asBoba Fett,[12] following Fett's life after the events of the 1983 filmReturn of the Jedi. The series premiered on 29 December 2021.[13]
In 2022, Morrison made a cameo appearance as a homeless veteran clone trooper in theObi-Wan Kenobi TV series.[14] In 2023, he voiced Rex and other clones in an episode of the first season ofAhsoka.
Morrison returned toShortland Street for six weeks in June and July 2008 to reprise the role of Dr. Hone Ropata.
In 2008, he appeared on New Zealand skit comedy television showPulp Sport, in a sketch that made fun of him being cloned.
Morrison has appeared in severalDC Comics-related films. In the 2011 filmGreen Lantern, he portrayedAbin Sur.[15] In 2018 he played lighthouse keeper Tom Curry, the father ofthe title character, inAquaman. Morrison reprised the role inThe Flash, released in 2023, andAquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which released in December 2023.[16]
Morrison also provided the voice of Moana's father, Chief Tui, in the2016 animated Disney film of the same name. He reprised the role in the2024 sequel, and also provided Tui's singing voice instead ofChristopher Jackson.
He portrayedKahekili in the 2025 Hawaiian period drama miniseriesChief of War executively produced and co-starred byJason Momoa forApple TV+.[17]
Morrison lives in New Zealand, and divides his time between filming there, Australia, and the United States. He has an adult son from a relationship in the late-1980s with singer Kim Willoughby from the all-girl groupWhen the Cat's Away; and a daughter with Peata Melbourne. Morrison's partner is Ashlee Howden-Sadlier, who is of Māori heritage.[18]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Seekers | Selwyn Broadhead | 10 episodes |
| 1987 | Adventurer | Maru | 10 episodes |
| 1987–1990 | Gloss | Sean | Recurring role |
| 1990 | Shark in the Park | Mason / Mark | Episode: "Ten-Zero, Dingo" |
| 1992–1995, 2008 | Shortland Street | Hone Ropata | Main role |
| 1995 | New Zealand at War | Narrator | Documentary miniseries |
| 2001–2002 | Mataku | Presenter / Host | |
| 2005 | The Tem Show | Talk show | |
| 2006 | Bro'Town | Himself | Voice, episode: "Know Me Before You Haunt Me" |
| 2011 | Spartacus: Gods of the Arena | Doctore | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Missing Christmas | Jack TePania | Voice, animated Christmas special; Precursor of seriesThe Barefoot Bandits[21] |
| 2013 | The Life and Times of Temuera Morrison | Himself | Documentary miniseries |
| 2014 | Happy Hour | Presenter / Host | |
| 2015 | The Barefoot Bandits | Jack TePania | Voice, main role (9 episodes)[21] |
| Tatau | Anaru Vaipiti | Miniseries; Main role | |
| 2016 | This Is Piki | Bill Mercer | |
| 2018 | Frontier | Te Rangi | 4 episodes |
| 2020–2023 | The Mandalorian | Boba Fett | 4 episodes |
| Clone troopers | Voice, episode: "Chapter 20: The Foundling" | ||
| 2021 | Star Wars: Visions | Boba Fett | Voice, episode: "Tatooine Rhapsody"; English language dub[24] |
| 2021–2022 | The Book of Boba Fett | Boba Fett | Lead role; 6 episodes |
| Clone troopers | Voice, episode: "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger"; uncredited[25] | ||
| 2022 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Veteran clone trooper | Episode: "Part II"[14] |
| My Life Is Murder | Frankie Jones | Episode: "The Village" | |
| Echo 3 | Roy Lennon | 2 episodes | |
| 2023 | Spirit Rangers | Ngārara | Voice, episode: "A Tale of Tails"[26] |
| Far North | Ed | Main role | |
| Ahsoka | Captain Rex, Clone troopers | Voice, episode: "Part Five: Shadow Warrior" | |
| 2024 | Secret Level | Old Salt | Voice, episode: "Armored Core: Asset Management" |
| 2025 | Chief of War | Chief Kahekili | Miniseries |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Star Wars: Bounty Hunter | Jango Fett | Voice | [21] |
| 2004 | Star Wars: Battlefront | Republic infantry, republic officer | Voice | [21] |
| 2005 | Star Wars: Republic Commando | RC-1138 "Delta 38" | Voice | [21] |
| Lego Star Wars: The Video Game | Jango Fett, clone troopers | Voice; Uncredited | ||
| Star Wars: Battlefront II | Narrator,Boba Fett, Jango Fett, republic officer 1, retired clone trooper | Voice | [21] | |
| 2006 | Star Wars: Empire at War | Boba Fett | Voice | [21] |
| 2015 | Star Wars Battlefront | Voice | ||
| 2017 | Star Wars Battlefront II | Voice | ||
| 2023 | Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | Voice |
The same technique was used to create multiple twenty-year-old clones in the commissary, with Rosenberg shooting actor Bodie Taylor a total of 99 times, in various positions, on a set of ILM
