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Manu Tupou

1935 – 2004

American actor

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About Manu Tupou

Lived 1935 – 2004 (aged 69). Manu Tupou was a Fijian actor, television actor, film actor and stage actor.

Manu Tupou (January 5, 1935 – June 5, 2004) was an American-based Fijian actor, writer, director, and teacher.

Early life Manu Tupou was born on Lomaloma, Lau, Fiji Islands.

Education Tupou trained as an actor for 15 years in New York under Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, Harold Clurman, and Sanford Meisner. He was an Honors graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts New York and a senior life member of the Actors Studio in both New York and Hollywood. He received bachelor's degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi and the University of London.

Tupou studied at the Actors Studio at Carnegie Hall.

On a summer vacation, Tupou went to an audition on the advice of his girlfriend where he met director George Roy Hill but declined an offer as he was starting school soon. His first film, Hawaii, was released in 1966.

Filmography Stage Indians (1969): Sitting Bull Othello (1971): Othello Iphigenia at Aulis (1971): Agamemnon Captain Brassbound's Conversion (1972): Sidi El Assif Annie Get Your Gun (1977): Sitting Bull The Old Glory (1977): Assawamset/Ferryman Black Elk Speaks (1981): Black Elk

Film Hawaii (1966) - Narrator/Prince Keoki The Extraordinary Seaman (1969) - Seaman 1/C Lightfoot Star A Man Called Horse (1970) - Chief Yellowhand The Castaway Cowboy (1974) - Kimo Hurricane (1979) - Samolo Circuitry Man (1990) - Mahi Love Affair (1994) - Rau Payback (1999) - Pawnbroker Chief Zabu (2016) - Chief Henri Zabu Posthumous release; shot in 1986 but not released until 2016

Television Hawaii Five-O (1971-1979) - Eddie Chu / Cappy Pahoa / Nahashi / Abraham Meleha / Tasi Barney Miller (1979) - Philip Azari Fantasy Island (1980) - Prester John Vega$ (1980) - Luke Kichi Magnum, P.I. (1981) - Charlie Voyagers! (1982) - Oxen Hill Street Blues (1986) - Jaggawala The A-Team (1986) - Chief Sikahama Batman: The Animated Series (1993) - Ubu (voice)

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Hawaiʻi System, American Academy of Dramatic Arts

People in Manu Tupou's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Manu Tupou's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Manu Tupou?

American actor (1935–2004)

When was Manu Tupou born?

Manu Tupou was born on 5 January 1935 in Lomaloma District.

When did Manu Tupou die?

Manu Tupou died on 5 June 2004 in Los Angeles.

What was Manu Tupou's occupation?

Manu Tupou was an actor, television actor, film actor and stage actor.

What nationality was Manu Tupou?

Manu Tupou was Fijian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Manu Tupou

· Wikidata: Q4353529

· DBpedia: Manu Tupou

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Manu Tupou. https://biography.guide/manu-tupou/

MLA: "Manu Tupou." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/manu-tupou/.

Chicago: "Manu Tupou." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/manu-tupou/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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