For those searching “Waititi” on this site, please be informed that it is not a Tagalog word.
Waititi is the surname of a film director, writer, actor, painter and comedian from New Zealand. His full name is Taika David Waititi, born on the 16th of August in the year 1975.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for his 2004 short film Two Cars, One Night. His feature films Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople became top grossing New Zealand films. His horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows also received critical acclaim.
Waititi’s first major Hollywood film, Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, is scheduled for release on November 3, 2017.
He is not of Filipino or Philippine descent. Taika Waititi is the son of Robin (Cohen), a teacher, and Taiga Waititi, a farmer and artist. His father is Maori, and also of one sixteenth French-Canadian ancestry. His mother is Jewish, of Russian Jewish descent; her maiden name is Cohen.
Taika’s paternal grandparents were Edward Taika Waititi (the son of Kainga O Te Ware Waititi and Taupe Brown or Paraone) and Matewa Delamere (the daughter of Hiki Manawa Delamere and Rongopouri Poihipi). Hiki’s paternal grandfather, Samuel Delamere, was a French-Canadian whaler who married Peti Te Ha, a Maori woman.
