---
name: "Oscar Kightley"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/oscar-kightley"
fi1m_id: "oscar-kightley"
imdb_id: "nm0452714"
tmdb_id: 89843
wikidata_id: "Q7106074"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "14 September 1969"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 69
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-13T21:55:13.222025+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Oscar Kightley

## Identity

Oscar Kightley

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/oscar-kightley
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** oscar-kightley
- **IMDb ID:** nm0452714
- **TMDB ID:** 89843
- **Wikidata ID:** Q7106074
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Kightley, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7106074, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0452714/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/89843

Actor. Born 14 September 1969 in Apia, Samoa.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 14 September 1969, Apia, Samoa
- **Active:** 2016–present
- **Also known as:** Oscar Vai To'elau Kightley, Оскар Кайтлі, 奧斯卡·凱特力
- **Frequently works with:** [Rachel House](https://film.one/person/rachel-house.md), [Taika Waititi](https://film.one/person/taika-waititi.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 69, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 82 (2), 2020s 56 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 69 to 68 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 4, Adventure 2, Drama 2, Family 2, Action & Adventure 1, Animation 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $733m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Kightley, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7106074, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0452714/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/89843

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Moana*](https://film.one/film/moana.md) (82), [*Next Goal Wins*](https://film.one/film/next-goal-wins.md) (50)
- **Peacock:** [*Hunt for the Wilderpeople*](https://film.one/film/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Oscar Kightley MNZM is a Samoan-born New Zealand actor, writer, comedian, director and television presenter. Born in Apia, Samoa, in 1969, he moved to New Zealand aged four and grew up in West Auckland. He began his career as a journalist before working in television and theatre.

He co-wrote and appeared in the films *Sione's Wedding* (2006) and its 2012 sequel. His acting credits include *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* (2016), the voice of a fisherman in *Moana* (2016), and Tavita in *Next Goal Wins* (2023). He is a founding member of the comedy group The Naked Samoans and contributed to the animated series *bro'Town*.

Kightley was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009 for services to theatre and television.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, thearts.co.nz, nzonscreen.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Time Bandits* (2024), Fi1m 62, as Jasper — [page](https://film.one/tv/time-bandits-2024.md)
- *Next Goal Wins* (2023), Fi1m 50, as Tavita — [page](https://film.one/film/next-goal-wins.md)
- *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* (2016), Fi1m 82, as Andy — [page](https://film.one/film/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople.md)
- *Moana* (2016), Fi1m 82, as Fisherman (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/moana.md)

## Complete filmography (17)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Ms. X* (2026), series, as Woody Morrison
- *Time Bandits* (2024), series, as Jasper — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/tv/time-bandits-2024.md)
- *Next Goal Wins* (2023), as Tavita — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/next-goal-wins.md)
- *Duckrockers* (2022), series, Director
- *Dawn Raid* (2021), Director
- *Third Term* (2020), series, as Josepha
- *The Breaker Upperers* (2018), as Client
- *Moana* (2016), as Fisherman (voice) — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/moana.md)
- *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* (2016), as Andy — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople.md)
- *Tom's Dairy* (2013), Director, Writer
- *Aroha Bridge* (2013), series, as Mayor TokoUso (voice)
- *Harry* (2013), series, as DS Harry Anglesea
- *Sione's 2: Unfinished Business* (2012), as Albert · Writer
- *Super City* (2011), series, Director
- *Sione's Wedding* (2006), as Albert · Writer, Script, Idea, Story, Screenplay
- *Made in Taiwan* (2006), Actor
- *bro'Town* (2004), series, as Vale Pepelo (voice) · Creator

## Gallery

- ![Oscar Kightley](https://film.one/media/person/14967/gallery-eb6b0b34b43c.jpg) Oscar Kightley — GFC Films, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Oscar_Kightley_at_the_Dawn_Raid_Film_Premiere_2021_%28cropped2%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Fraser Brown (executive producer), Matthew Metcalfe (screenwriter/producer), Oscar Kightley (director), and Leela Menon (producer), posing for a photo at the pr (2023)](https://film.one/media/person/14967/gallery-a60ba5ff52e1.jpg) Fraser Brown (executive producer), Matthew Metcalfe (screenwriter/producer), Oscar Kightley (director), and Leela Menon (producer), posing for a photo at the pr (2023) — GFC Films, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Fraser_Brown%2C_Matthew_Metcalfe%2C_Oscar_Kightley_and_Leela_Menon_at_the_Dawn_Raid_Film_Premiere_2021.jpg/1280px-Fraser_Brown%2C_Matthew_Metcalfe%2C_Oscar_Kightley_and_Leela_Menon_at_the_Dawn_Raid_Film_Premiere_2021.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Oscar Kightley, at an assembly at Rutherford College, Te Atatū, on 13 October 2025, where he was inducted into the Rutherford College Hall of Distinction](https://film.one/media/person/14967/gallery-3c9b90584afe.jpg) Oscar Kightley, at an assembly at Rutherford College, Te Atatū, on 13 October 2025, where he was inducted into the Rutherford College Hall of Distinction — Government House, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Oscar_Kightley_2025_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Oscar_Kightley_2025_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Oscar Kightley (right), after his investiture as MNZM, for services to television and the theatre, by the governor-general, Sir Anand Satyanand, at Government H (2009)](https://film.one/media/person/14967/gallery-16b817ae02d9.jpg) Oscar Kightley (right), after his investiture as MNZM, for services to television and the theatre, by the governor-general, Sir Anand Satyanand, at Government H (2009) — New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Oscar_Kightley_MNZM_investiture.jpg/1280px-Oscar_Kightley_MNZM_investiture.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Oscar Kightley](https://film.one/media/person/14967/gallery-cab7373a7e0e.jpg) Oscar Kightley — Image via TMDB
- ![Oscar Kightley (left) and Cindy Kiro, at an assembly at Rutherford College, Te Atatū, on 13 October 2025, where they were inducted into the Rutherford College H](https://film.one/media/person/14967/gallery-b5c30e5a91e5.jpg) Oscar Kightley (left) and Cindy Kiro, at an assembly at Rutherford College, Te Atatū, on 13 October 2025, where they were inducted into the Rutherford College H — Government House, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Oscar_Kightley_and_Cindy_Kiro_2025.jpg/1280px-Oscar_Kightley_and_Cindy_Kiro_2025.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Fraser Brown (executive producer), Matthew Metcalfe (screenwriter/producer), Oscar Kightley (director), and Leela Menon (producer), posing for a photo at the pr (2023)](https://film.one/media/person/14967/gallery-b561d05a642e.jpg) Fraser Brown (executive producer), Matthew Metcalfe (screenwriter/producer), Oscar Kightley (director), and Leela Menon (producer), posing for a photo at the pr (2023) — GFC Films, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Oscar_Kightley_at_the_Dawn_Raid_Film_Premiere_2021_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Other awards — 4 won

- Senior Pacific Artist Award 2016: Senior Pacific Artist Award (won)
- Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit 2008: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (won)
- Arts Foundation of New Zealand 2006: Arts Foundation of New Zealand (won)
- Bruce Mason Playwriting Award 1998: Bruce Mason Playwriting Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/oscar-kightley