Biography
Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne is a New Zealand actress, director and playwright. She made her screen debut as Kahu in Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016).
Raised on the East Coast, she attended a Māori-language immersion school and graduated with a BA in acting from Toi Whakaari in 2020. She is of Ngāti Porou and Tūhoe descent and is fluent in te reo Māori. Subsequent film roles include Makareta in Cousins (2021), teenage Whina Cooper in Whina (2022) and Rangimai in The Convert (2023).
Ngatai-Melbourne was named a Rising Star at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival for her performance in The Convert. She has also appeared in television series including Kairākau and directed the short film E Rangi Rā (2022).
