Temuera Morrison

Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor who first gained recognition in his home country for playing Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera Shortland Street. He garnered critical acclaim for starring as Jake "The Muss" Heke in the 1994 film Once Were Warriors and its 1999 sequel What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?.

Outside of New Zealand, Morrison gained international fame for his roles in the Star Wars multimedia franchise as the Mandalorian bounty hunters Jango Fett and Boba Fett, the latter being a genetic clone of the former. His first Star Wars appearance was in the 2002 film Attack of the Clones, where he played Jango as well as the original clone troopers who were also based on Jango's genetics; he later voiced Boba Fett in the 2004 re-release of The Empire Strikes Back and various Star Wars video games, before portraying Boba fully in the second season of The Mandalorian (2019–present) and its spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022). In 2022, he had a recurring role in the black ops thriller series Echo 3. Morrison is known for voicing Chief Tui, the father of the Moana in Disney's Moana (2016), and for playing Arthur Curry's father Tom Curry in the DCEU films Aquaman (2018), The Flash (2023), and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).

Early life Morrison was born on 26 December 1960 in the town of Rotorua, on the North Island of New Zealand. He is the son of Hana Morrison (née Stafford), and musician Laurie Morrison. He is Māori, of Te Arawa (Ngāti Whakaue) and Tainui (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rarua) whakapapa, and also has Scottish and Irish ancestry. His sister was performer Taini Morrison and his uncle was musician Sir Howard Morrison. His secondary education took place at Wesley College, Auckland, and Western Heights High School, Rotorua.

Career 1973–2014: Film and music Morrison's film debut is the 1973 film Rangi's Catch, playing the title character. He trained in drama under the New Zealand Special Performing Arts Training Scheme. One of his earliest starring roles was in the 1988 film Never Say Die, opposite Lisa Eilbacher. After this he played Dr. Hone Ropata on the television soap opera Shortland Street from 1992 to 1995.

In 1994, he received attention for his role as the violently abusive Māori husband Jake "The Muss" Heke in Once Were Warriors, a film adaptation of Alan Duff's novel Once Were Warriors. The film became the most successful local release in New Zealand, and sold to many countries. The role won him international acclaim and he received the award for best male performance in a dramatic role at the 1994 New Zealand Film and Television Awards. He reprised the role in the sequel, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, for which he received the Best Actor award from the New Zealand Film Awards. Morrison said in 2010 that he felt typecast by the role, to the point that it was "a millstone round my neck". In 1996, he appeared in the Pamela Anderson film Barb Wire.

He has appeared in supporting roles in Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) and The Beautiful Country (2004). In 2005, Morrison became the host of the talk show The Tem Show on New Zealand television.

In the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours, Morrison was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to drama.

He started writing an autobiography in 2009, which he hoped would inspire others to "reach for the stars".

He released his debut album, Tem, through Sony Music Entertainment NZ in late November 2014. It consists of covers of songs that his father, and uncle Sir Howard Morrison, had performed at local venues when he was growing up.

2002–2023: Star Wars films, video games and television Morrison became widely known outside of New Zealand with his role as bounty hunter Jango Fett in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Part of the plot involves an army of clones created with Jango's DNA, so Morrison also provided the voice acting for the clones. He reappeared as several clones in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and re-recorded the lines of the character Boba Fett (Jango's clone "son") in the 2004 DVD re-releases of the original Star Wars trilogy, replacing the voice of Jason Wingreen.

Morrison has since portrayed Jango Fett and his clones in several Star Wars video games, all produced by LucasArts. He played the clone commando "Boss" in Star Wars: Republic Commando (2005), voiced all the troopers in Star Wars: Battlefront (2004), and voiced both Jango and Boba Fett in its sequel, Battlefront II (2005). Morrison reprised his role as Jango in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (2002), a game centered around the character, and LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (2005), along with his clones, but was uncredited in the latter. He voiced Boba in the 2006 game Star Wars: Empire at War, and DICE's Star Wars Battlefront (2015) and Battlefront II (2017), the latter of which were produced by EA.

Morrison physically portrayed Boba Fett for the first time in the second season of The Mandalorian (2020). In the show, Morrison portrays an aged, weathered version of the character. Morrison's Fett has heavy scars on his face, and wears dark robes before reclaiming and restoring his armor. Morrison says that with the physically worn appearance, he adjusted his voice to be more gravelly, as if Boba's vocal cords were affected by his past traumas. With the role, Morrison was also able to bring a bit of his own Māori culture to Fett's portrayal. In an interview with The New York Times, he said that he "wanted to bring that kind of spirit and energy, which we call wairua, [to the role]" following Fett's life after the events of the 1983 film Return of the Jedi. The series premiered on 29 December 2021.

In 2022, Morrison made a cameo appearance as a homeless veteran clone trooper in the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series. In 2018 he played lighthouse keeper Tom Curry, the father of the title character, in Aquaman. Morrison reprised the role in The Flash, released in 2023, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which released in December 2023.

Morrison also provided the voice of Moana's father, Chief Tui, in the 2016 animated Disney film of the same name. He reprised the role in the 2024 sequel, and also provided Tui's singing voice instead of Christopher Jackson.

He portrayed Kahekili in the 2025 Hawaiian period drama miniseries Chief of War executive produced and co-starred by Jason Momoa for Apple TV+.

Personal life Morrison lives in New Zealand, and divides his time between filming there, Australia, and the United States. He has an adult son from a relationship in the late-1980s with singer Kim Willoughby from the all-girl group When the Cat's Away; and a daughter with Peata Melbourne. Morrison's partner is Ashlee Howden-Sadlier, who is of Māori heritage.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1972 Rangi's Catch Rangi 1984 Other Halves Tony 1988 Never Say Die Alf Winters Mauri Young Cop The Grasscutter Sergeant Harris Television film 1994 Once Were Warriors Jake 'The Muss' Heke 1996 Barb Wire Axel Hood Azazello Broken English Manu Little White Lies Tim Whipping Boy Jack Television film 1997 Speed 2: Cruise Control First Officer Juliano 1998 Six Days, Seven Nights Jager 1999 What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? Jake 'The Muss' Heke From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter Mauricio / The Hangman Direct-to-video 2000 Vertical Limit Major Rasul 2001 Crooked Earth Will Bastion Ihaka: Blunt Instrument Tito Ihaka Television film 2002 Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones Jango Fett Clone troopers Voice; performed by Bodie Taylor 2004 Snakehead Blueberry Runi Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back DVD Special Edition Boba Fett Voice (replaced Jason Wingreen) 2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Commander Cody Clone troopers Role shared with Bodie Taylor River Queen Te Kai Po The Reluctant Hero Narrator TV documentary 2008 Rain of the Children Rua Kenana Documentary 2009 The Immortal Voyage of Captain Drake Don Sandovate Television film Couples Retreat Briggs Damo Direct-to-video 2010 Tracker Kereama 2011 Green Lantern Abin Sur 2012 The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption King Ramusan Direct-to-video Fresh Meat Hemi Crane 2013 Mt. Zion Dad 2016 Mahana (The Patriarch) Grandfather Mahana Hard Target 2 Madden Direct-to-video The Osiris Child: Science Fiction Volume One Warden Mourdain Moana Chief Tui (voice) 2018 Occupation Peter Bartlett Aquaman Thomas Curry 2019 The Brighton Miracle Eddie Jones Dora and the Lost City of Gold Powell Mosley Warfield 2021 Occupation: Rainfall Peter Bartlett 2023 The Flash Thomas Curry Cameo Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Sons of Summer Frank 2024 Ka Whawhai Tonu Rewi Maniapoto Moana 2 Chief Tui (voice) 2026 The Wrecking Crew Governor Peter Mahoe The Bluff Lee +Key Denotes works that have not yet been released

Television Year Title Role Notes 1986 Seekers Selwyn Broadhead 10 episodes 1987 Adventurer Maru 10 episodes 1987–1990 Gloss Sean Recurring role 1990 Shark in the Park Mason / Mark Episode: "Ten-Zero, Dingo" 1992–1995, 2008 Shortland Street Hone Ropata Main role 1995 New Zealand at War Narrator Documentary miniseries 2001–2002 Mataku Presenter / Host 2005 The Tem Show Talk show 2006 Bro'Town Himself Voice, episode: "Know Me Before You Haunt Me" 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Doctore 2 episodes 2012 Missing Christmas Jack TePania Voice, animated Christmas special; Precursor of series The Barefoot Bandits 2013 The Life and Times of Temuera Morrison Himself Documentary miniseries 2014 Happy Hour Presenter / Host 2015 The Barefoot Bandits Jack TePania Voice, main role (9 episodes) 2021–2022 The Book of Boba Fett Boba Fett Lead role; 6 episodes Clone troopers Voice, episode: "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger"; uncredited 2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi Veteran clone trooper Episode: "Part II" My Life Is Murder Frankie Jones Episode: "The Village" Echo 3 Roy Lennon 2 episodes 2023 Spirit Rangers Ngārara Voice, episode: "A Tale of Tails" Far North Ed Main role Ahsoka Captain Rex, Clone troopers Voice, episode: "Part Five: Shadow Warrior" 2024 Secret Level Old Salt Voice, episode: "Armored Core: Asset Management" 2025 Chief of War Chief Kahekili Miniseries

Video games YearTitleRoleNotesSource 2002 Star Wars: Bounty Hunter Jango Fett Voice 2004 Star Wars: Battlefront Republic infantry, republic officer Voice 2005 Star Wars: Republic Commando RC-1138 "Delta 38" Voice Lego Star Wars: The Video Game Jango Fett, clone troopers Voice; Uncredited Star Wars: Battlefront II Narrator, Boba Fett, Jango Fett, republic officer 1, retired clone trooper Voice 2006 Star Wars: Empire at WarBoba Fett Voice 2015 Star Wars Battlefront Voice 2017 Star Wars Battlefront II Voice 2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Voice