Cliff Curtis

Cliff Curtis
Biographical Information
Name	Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis
Born	July 27, 1968, Rotorua, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealander
Physical Information
Gender	Male
Career
Avatar Role	Tonowari
Years Active	1991–Present

Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis, (born July 27, 1968) better known as Cliff Curtis, is a New Zealand actor of Māori descent. He is well known for his numerous film roles, as well as his role as Travis Manawa in AMC's horror/drama series Fear the Walking Dead. In 2017, it was confirmed that Cliff had been cast in the Avatar sequels as Tonowari, the leader of the Metkayina Clan.

Background and Early Work

Curtis was born in Rotorua, New Zealand, the sibling to seven other children. He is of Māori descent, specifically affiliated with the Te Arawa and Ngāti Hauiti tribes. He was taught a traditional form of Māori taiaha fighting known as mau rākau at a young age by Māori elder Mita Mohi, which helped amplify his abilities as a kapa haka performer. He later applied his dancing abilities to breakdancing and competitive rock'n'roll dancing.

Cliff's first role in a feature film was a small part in the film The Piano. But it wasn't until he starred in Once Were Warriors, one of the most successful films released on New Zealand screens, that he got his big break and became a household name in New Zealand. The line "Uncle fucken Bully", referring to Curtis's character, spoken by "Jake the Muss", played by Temuera Morrison, was instantly iconic and became engrained in New Zealand culture. He would go on to star in many more New Zealand and international film and television roles, such as the short-film Kahu & Maia, an adaptation of a Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Rongomaiwahine legend, international hit Whale Rider, Blow (2001) with Johnny Depp, Sunshine (2001), and M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender (2010). His television résumé includes AMC's Fear the Walking Dead (2015–2017), Trauma (2009–2010), and Gang Related (2014), among others.

Role in the Avatar Series

Tonowari.

Curtis's character, Tonowari, is the Metkayina's Olo'eyktan, the mate of Ronal, and the father of Aonung and Tsireya. Besides his role, Cliff also worked closely with James Cameron to incorporate aspects of Māori culture into the Metkayina Clan, including using the Rotorua haka as inspiration for dances for the clan to perform.

Filmography

• The Piano (1993)
• Desperate Remedies (1993)
• Kahu and Maia (1994)
• Once Were Warriors (1994)
• Rapa Nui (1994)
• Chicken (1996)
• Mananui (1996)
• Deep Rising (1998)
• Six Days, Seven Nights (1998)
• Virus (1999)
• Three Kings (1999)
• Bringing Out The Dead (1999)
• The Insider (1999)
• Jubilee (2000)
• Blow (2000)
• Training Day (2001)
• The Majestic (2001)
• Collateral Damage (2002)
• Whale Rider (2002)
• Runaway Jury (2003)
• Fracture (2004)
• Spooked (2004)
• Heinous Crime (2004)
• The Pool (2005)
• River Queen (2005)
• The Fountain (2006)
• Sunshine (2007)
• Fracture (2007)
• Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
• 10,000 BC (2008)
• Push (2009)
• Crossing Over (2009)
• The Last Airbender (2010)
• Colombiana (2011)
• A Thousand Words (2012)
• The Dark Horse (2014)
• Last Knights (2015)
• Risen (2016)
• The Meg (2018)
• Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
• Doctor Sleep (2019)
• Reminiscence (2021)
• Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
• Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
• Avatar 4 (2029)

Gallery