Temuera Morrison is best known for one of New Zealand’s most graphic film performances: Jake Heke in Once Were Warriors.  Before the Warriors films, Morrison played Dr Hone Ropata in Shortland Street. He has appeared in a range of TV productions and Hollywood films including the Star Wars franchise. His latest film Tracker was released in 2011.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Morrison talks about:

• Having a great time as a child actor on Rangi’s Catch
• Stumbling over medical terms in the scripts of Shortland Street
• Auditioning for a bit part on Once Were Warriors but eventually getting the lead
• Being aware of people’s doubts about whether he could play the role of Jake
• The intense physical work he undertook to create the character of Jake the Muss
• The intensity and brilliance of his co-star Rena Owen
• Feeling more comfortable in the role of Jake in the sequel What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?
• Being nervous on the set of Star Wars, and the unreality of the sets
• The challenge and rewards of his latest film Tracker, a British co-production co-starring Ray Winstone

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

NZ On Screen: Interview, Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside