Actors from New Zealand

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  • A

    • Antony Starr
       Occupation: Actor

      Antony Starr is a highly acclaimed New Zealand actor best known for his chilling and multi-layered portrayal of Homelander in the hit Amazon Prime series The Boys.

      Born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1975, Starr initially rose to fame in his home country by playing the dual roles of twin brothers Jethro and Van West in the long-running dramedy Outrageous Fortune. He later successfully transitioned to American television as the lead in the gritty action series Banshee, where he played Lucas Hood, an ex-con who assumes the identity of a small-town sheriff.

      Key Highlights

      Signature Role: His performance as the narcissistic, terrifying superhero Homelander has earned him widespread international acclaim and several awards, including a Saturn Award and multiple Critics’ Choice Super Awards.

      Film Work: Outside of television, he has appeared in films such as the 2023 horror-thriller Cobweb, Guy Ritchie's The Covenant, and the action-thriller G20 (2025).

      Versatility: Starr is often praised for his "facial acting"—his ability to convey complex, often disturbing emotions with subtle micro-expressions.

      Early Career: He got his start in the 1990s with small roles in shows like Xena: Warrior Princess and the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street.

      Starr is widely regarded as one of the most compelling "villain" actors in modern television, often bringing a humanizing yet deeply unsettling depth to his antagonistic characters.

      Antony Starr Instagram: 3.2M Followers / Subscribers Wikipedia: 0 Followers / Subscribers IMDb: 0 Followers / Subscribers

  • D

    • Daniel Gillies
       Occupation: Actor

      Daniel Gillies is a Canadian-born New Zealand actor, film producer, director, and screenwriter.

      He is widely known for his television roles as Elijah Mikaelson on the supernatural dramas The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off series, The Originals, and as Dr. Joel Goran on the Canadian series Saving Hope.

      His film credits include roles in movies such as Spider-Man 2 and Bride and Prejudice. Gillies also wrote, directed, and starred in the 2012 film, Broken Kingdom. He was married to American actress Rachael Leigh Cook from 2004 to 2021, and they have two children together.

      Daniel Gillies Instagram: 4.6M Followers / Subscribers Facebook: 1.2M Followers / Subscribers Wikipedia: 0 Followers / Subscribers Fandom: 0 Followers / Subscribers

  • J

    • Jemaine Clement
       Occupation: Actor

      ### 🎬 Jemaine Clement: Actor, Comedian, Musician, and Filmmaker

      Jemaine Clement is a New Zealand actor, comedian, musician, and filmmaker. He is widely known for his diverse creative work across film, television, and live performance.

      * Musical Comedy Duo: He is one half of the Grammy Award-winning musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords with Bret McKenzie, which is known for its successful HBO series of the same name.

      * Film Work: Clement has appeared in a number of feature films, including:

      * Men in Black 3 (as the antagonist Boris the Animal).

      * The BFG (as The Fleshlumpeater).

      * Eagle vs Shark.

      * Gentlemen Broncos.

      * People Places Things.

      * Avatar: The Way of Water.

      * Voice Acting: He has lent his distinct voice to animated characters such as:

      * Tamatoa, a giant crab, in Disney's Moana.

      * Nigel, the villainous cockatoo, in Rio and Rio 2.

      * Jerry the Minion in Despicable Me.

      * Sauron in The Lego Batman Movie.

      * Directing and Writing: Along with Taika Waititi, he co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the hit vampire mockumentary film What We Do in the Shadows, which he later adapted into a TV series for FX. He also created and directed the series Wellington Paranormal.

      * Notable Projects: His television work includes the HBO series Flight of the Conchords (for which he received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations) and the FX series Legion. He is also involved in the Apple Original series Time Bandits, which he produced.

      Jemaine Clement was born on January 10, 1974, in Masterton, New Zealand. He is married to Miranda Manasiadis, a theatre actress and playwright, and they have one child together.

      Jemaine Clement X: 475.5K Followers / Subscribers Instagram: 2.7K Followers / Subscribers Wikipedia: 0 Followers / Subscribers Fandom: 0 Followers / Subscribers

  • K

    • KJ Apa
       Occupation: Actor

      Keneti James Fitzgerald is a New Zealand actor, musician, and painter. He gained recognition for playing Kane Jenkins in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street (2013–2015) and Archie Andrews in the CW teen drama series Riverdale (2017–2023). He has also starred in the adventure drama film A Dog's Purpose (2017), the teen drama film The Hate U Give (2018), and the romantic drama film I Still Believe (2020). In 2021, Apa released his debut solo album, the indie folk-rock album Clocks.

      KJ Apa Instagram: 15.4M Followers / Subscribers Facebook: 2.1M Followers / Subscribers Wikipedia: 0 Followers / Subscribers Fandom: 0 Followers / Subscribers
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