Rachel House

Career Acting House attended the New Zealand national drama school, Toi Whakaari, graduating in 1992. In 2002, she appeared in the award-winning feature film Whale Rider. In 2005, she became a series regular on Maddigan's Quest alongside a young Rose McIver.

In 2008, House appeared in Taika Waititi's first feature film, Eagle vs Shark. She has gone on to become a regular collaborator with Waititi, appearing in his second film, Boy, in 2010 and coaching the young actors on set. In 2016, she appeared in Waititi's fourth film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and again provided acting coaching for the young lead Julian Dennison.

House voiced Gramma Tala in the 2016 Disney animated film Moana. In 2017, she played Grandmaster's bodyguard Topaz in Thor: Ragnarok. In 2019, she was one of the leading roles in Bellbird, a film that received several awards at several international film festivals. In 2020, she voiced Terry in the Pixar animated film Soul.

She plays one of the main roles in the Australian 2023 comedy drama series Bay of Fires, and in 2024, reprised her role in the second season of the award-winning Netflix series Heartbreak High. In response to her work in Australia, Bridget McManus of the Sydney Morning Herald wrote, "with her commanding presence and unmistakable New Zealand accent, Rachel House is a serial scene-stealer on Australian television and film."

In television, House became a series regular in the Netflix reboot series Heartbreak High as Principal Stacy "Woodsy" Woods in 2022. The same year, House also appeared in the Apple TV+ series Foundation and ABC series Bay of Fires. In 2023, House portrayed the pirate Mary Read in season 2 of the HBO Max comedy Our Flag Means Death.

As a voice actor, she is known for her roles as "Gramma Tala" in Disney's Moana (2016) and "Terry" in Pixar's Soul (2020). In 2023 she voiced "Grandma Coco" in the Māori language version of Pixar's Coco (2017). She has starred in numerous animated series for television, including Sherwood, The Lion Guard, Amphibia, Pinecone and Pony, What If...?, Kiff and Koala Man.

As an acting coach, House has worked alongside Jane Campion for Top of the Lake and The Power of the Dog (2021); and with Taika Waititi on Boy (2010), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Jojo Rabbit (2019) and Next Goal Wins (2023).

House was named as part of the cast for Stan Australia series Sunny Nights.

Directing House has directed numerous theatrical performances, short films and a feature film released in 2024.

After graduating from drama school in 1992, House went on to direct theatrical performances, including Have Car, Will Travel by Mitch Tawhi Thomas in 2001 for which she won several awards. a contemporary retelling of the Euripides myth created by Australian theatre-makers Kate Mulvany and Anne-Louise Sarks.

House has co-directed with Tweedie Waititi of Matewa Media for the Māori language versions of Disney animated films The Lion King (2004) and Moana (2016).

In 2024, House's first feature film as a director premiered in Taranaki, Aotearoa New Zealand. The Mountain is "a heartfelt drama about three children on a mission to find healing under the watchful eye of Taranaki Maunga (Mountain) and discover friendship in the spirit of adventure".

Recognition In 1995, House won the "Most Promising Female Newcomer of the Year" Chapman Tripp Theatre Award for her one-woman show Nga Pou Wahine by Briar Grace-Smith. and in 2003, Best Supporting Actress in Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People.

In the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, House was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the performing arts.

In 2018, House was a joint winner with Professor Derek Lardelli of the Te Waipuna-ā-Rangi Award for Arts and Entertainment at the Matariki Awards, held by Whakaata Māori (formerly Māori TV).

Filmography Film

Director Year Title Notes 2008 Tellem Bond Season 2; 5 episodes Our Flag Means Death Mary Read Season 2; episode 4: "Fun and Games" Kiff Mary Buns (voice) 4 episodes 100% Wolf: Book of Hath Ms. Afeaki (voice) 17 episodes 2024 Time Bandits Fianna 10 episodes The Legend of Vox Machina Dohla (voice) Season 3; episodes 3 & 5: "Vexations" and "The Frigid Doom" 2025 Sunny Nights Mony 7 episodes

Theatre Actor

Director

Awards