Famous People Born In Wellington

Active in the film industry for over 35 years, Russell Crowe is an actor, film producer, director, and musician. Gaining international fame with his role in the epic historical film Gladiator in 2000, he is the recipient of several awards, including an Academy Award and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award.

Karl Urban is one of the most popular actors from New Zealand. He established himself in the American film industry by playing the role of Éomer in two of the three Lord of the Rings film series. Apart from acting, he plays a key role in supporting The KidsCan Charitable Trust, which provides essentials to over 16,000 disadvantaged children.

Antony Starr is a New Zealand actor whose portrayal of Jeremy King in the 2012 Australian mystery drama film Wish You Were Here earned him the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award and the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award. Antony Starr is best known for playing Homelander in the American superhero television series, The Boys.

Thomasin McKenzie is a New Zealand actress best known for playing Tom in the 2018 American film, Leave No Trace. Her performance earned her the National Board of Review Award under the Breakthrough Performance category. Thomasin McKenzie was also honored by the Seattle Film Critics Society with the Best Youth Performance award in 2019 for her performance in Jojo Rabbit.

Katherine Mansfield was a New Zealand modernist writer best remembered for her short stories. Her life and career inspired several films, plays, novels, and TV series. In 1973, she became the subject of a BBC miniseries titled A Picture of Katherine Mansfield. In 2011, actress Kate Elliott played Mansfield in a TV biopic titled Bliss.

Bret McKenzie is a New Zealand actor, comedian, musician, and producer. Along with Jemaine Clement, he is one-half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. He is a former member of the musical group The Black Seeds. As an actor, he appeared in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. 

Initially a journalist, Nancy Wake earned the nickname The White Mouse for her skilful spying on Germans. Working under the alias Helene for the SOE, the stiletto-wearing socialite earned respect for her 500 km bicycle ride to report a situation to London, while being chased by the Nazis.

Julian Dennison is a New Zealand actor whose portrayal of Solomon in his debut film Shopping earned him the New Zealand Film Award under the Best Supporting Actor category. He then went on to appear in popular films like Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Deadpool 2. Julian Dennison has also appeared in several commercials for companies like Air New Zealand.

Lee Tamahori is a New Zealand filmmaker who achieved international recognition in 2002 when he directed the 20th film in the popular James Bond series, Die Another Day. Lee Tamahori is also known for directing successful and popular movies like Once Were Warriors, Along Came a Spider, and Mahana.

Sam Hammington is a comedian known for hosting a radio show titled Drivetime from 2008 to 2012. He is also known for his appearance in the variety show Real Men, for which he received a couple of MBC Entertainment Awards. His work in The Return of Superman, a South-Korean reality-variety show, has earned him a couple of KBS Entertainment Awards. 

Richard Curtis is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, film director, and producer. Widely regarded as one of Britain's most popular and successful comedy screenwriters, Curtis is best known for writing romantic comedy films like Bridget Jones's Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Love Actually. Richard Curtis is a recipient of several prestigious awards including the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award.

Brooke Fraser is a New Zealand singer-songwriter best known for her 2010 single, Something in the Water. Over the course of her career, Fraser has won several awards, including a Grammy for her song What a Beautiful Name. She has also won many New Zealand Music Awards. Also a philanthropist, Fraser was part of the 2012 charity song, Feel Inside.

Robbie Magasiva is a Samoan-New Zealand actor known for his association with a comedy troupe called Naked Samoans. Apart from acting in popular films like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Robbie Magasiva has also appeared in theatre and on television. Magasiva became a household name in New Zealand when he started co-presenting Tagata Pasifika with Beatrice Faumuina.

In 1993, Jane Campion became the first female filmmaker to be honored with the Palme d'Or for her film The Piano, which also earned her an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. In 2022, Campion became the first woman to win Oscars for both screenwriting and directing when her film The Power of the Dog earned her the Best Director award.

Julian Savea is a New Zealand professional rugby player who played a major role in his national team's triumph at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. With eight tries under his belt, Savea was the highest try-scorer of the World Cup. Julian Savea is also one of New Zealand's highest try-scorers of all time.

Sala Baker is a New Zealand stuntman and actor best known for playing Sauron in the famous Lord of the Rings trilogy. Apart from playing the primary antagonist in the trilogy, Baker has also played a Gondorian, several Orcs, and one of the Rohirrim. The recipient of Screen Actors Guild Award, Sala Baker has also performed in other popular movies.

Fran Walsh is a New Zealand film producer and screenwriter. Along with her partner Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh has produced films like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which earned her three Academy Awards in 2004.

Niki Caro is a screenwriter and film director. She achieved international prominence in 2002 when she directed the critically acclaimed drama film Whale Rider, which won several honors at international film festivals. In 2020, she directed Mulan, becoming the second director from New Zealand to be hired by Disney to direct a movie with a minimum budget of $100 million.

Willy Moon is a New Zealand singer-songwriter, musician, and producer. He is best known for his song Yeah Yeah from the album Here's Willy Moon. The song peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, while the album peaked at number three on the Official New Zealand Music Chart.

Georgina Beyer is a New Zealand politician and former sex worker who became the first openly transgender mayor in the world when she was elected as the Mayor of Carterton in 1995. Georgina Beyer is also the first openly transgender person in the world to serve as a Member of Parliament.

New Zealand author Patricia Grace is regarded as one of the most significant figures in Maori literature. Though half-Maori and half-European, she identified as a Maori. Initially a teacher, she later turned to full-time writing. She soared to fame as a children’s author and is also known for her novels and short stories.

New Zealand rugby player David Edward Kirk is known for leading the All Blacks to the 1987 Rugby World Cup win. Following his rugby career, he went to Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. He later coached Wellington NPC and joined the National Party too. He also penned articles on rugby for major publications.

Michael King was a New Zealand biographer, historian, and author. He is remembered for writing a book titled Penguin History of New Zealand, which became a best-seller and the most famous New Zealand book in the year 2004. A much-respected writer, King won several literary awards, such as the Feltex television writers' award and Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement.

Known as Gentleman Jack for his politeness, New Zealand National Party politician Jack Marshall served as his country’s prime minister and had also been its minister of overseas trade. Initially a qualified lawyer, too, he devoted himself to writing books and actively engaged in cultural and charitable activities.