Personal info
Known for
Director
Gender
Male
Birthday
17 June
Location
Wellington, New Zealand
Edit pageLee Tamahori
Biography
Lee Tamahori is a New Zealand film director best known for directing action, thriller, and drama films in both New Zealand and Hollywood. He was born on June 17, 1950, in Wellington, New Zealand.
Tamahori began his career in the New Zealand film industry before making his directorial debut with Once Were Warriors (1994). The film, adapted from Alan Duff’s novel, became an important and critically acclaimed work of New Zealand cinema.
He subsequently moved into international filmmaking and directed Mulholland Falls (1996), The Edge (1997), starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin, and Along Came a Spider (2001), featuring Morgan Freeman. He also directed the James Bond film Die Another Day (2002), starring Pierce Brosnan as Agent 007.
Other notable directing credits include xXx: State of the Union (2005), Next (2007), The Devil's Double (2011), and Emperor (2012). His films often combine suspense, action, crime, and psychological drama.
Tamahori has had a varied career spanning New Zealand and American cinema. He is particularly remembered for Once Were Warriors and Die Another Day, which established him as a filmmaker capable of handling both intimate dramatic stories and large-scale commercial productions.
