Nathaniel Lees
Biography
Maiava Nathaniel Lees is a New Zealand actor and theater director of Samoan descent who was born in Auckland and grew up in a household where Samoan was commonly spoken. He built a long stage career and was among the actors who helped establish Pacific theater in New Zealand, later directing work such as Think of a Garden, which won Production of the Year and earned him Director of the Year at the 1995 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. On screen he is known as Captain Mifune in The Matrix trilogy and as Ugluk in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and he starred as Chiron the centaur in Young Hercules (1998). He also appeared in 30 Days of Night (2007), had roles on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, and played Master Mao in Power Rangers Jungle Fury. He received the Senior Pacific Artist Award in 2004.
74years old
Turns 75 on July 20in 280 days
- Born Auckland
- Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
Movie Career
- Films
- 9
- Career span
- 27 years1984 to 2011
Genres
First and latest
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First role
Lees got his first acting job because the theater needed brown people to run around on stage killing Captain Cook; walking through the audition door was enough to land the part.
Behind the camera
Lees directed Think of a Garden, a play by John Kneubuhl that won an award. It was staged at the Watershed Theatre in Auckland in 1993 and at Taki Rua Theatre in Wellington in 1995. Lees won Director of the Year at the 1995 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards.
Behind the award
In 2004, the Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika Awards gave Lees its Senior Pacific Artist Award. He was among the actors whose work opened the way for Pacific theater in New Zealand.
Nathaniel Lees movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Michael Hurst appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Michael Hurst's page
Sam Neill's page
Madeleine Sami's page
David Fane's page
Robbie Magasiva's page
David Weatherley's page
Also two films together2 more actors
- Kelson Henderson30 Days of Night (2007) and Samoan Wedding (2006)
- Pua Magasiva30 Days of Night (2007) and Samoan Wedding (2006)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Four awards and honors from 1993 to 2015.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2015 | Director of the Year (Wellington Theatre Award) | Won | |
| 2004 | Senior Pacific Artist Award | Won | |
| 1995 | Best Director Award | Won | |
| 1993 | Exemplary/Supreme Award of the Te Waka Toi Awards | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.