Maiava Nathaniel Lees was born on 20 July 1952 and is a New Zealand theatre actor and director and film actor of Samoan descent, best known for film roles in The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and for starring in Young Hercules as Chiron the centaur.
13 Facts About Nathaniel Lees
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Nathaniel Lees was brought up in an environment where Samoan was commonly spoken, so he grew up thinking of himself as being Samoan.
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Nathaniel Lees got his first acting job because of "being brown", as the theatre required brown people running around on stage killing Captain Cook.
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Nathaniel Lees is known for his role as Captain Mifune in The Matrix trilogy and his role as "Ugluk" in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
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Nathaniel Lees has had roles on the TV series Young Hercules, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess.
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Nathaniel Lees appeared in 30 Days of Night with Josh Hartnett.
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Nathaniel Lees played Master Mao in the Power Rangers series Power Rangers Jungle Fury.
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Nathaniel Lees is well known for a long career in theatre, having received many prestigious rewards for his contribution to the arts.
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Nathaniel Lees was the director of the award winning play Think of a Garden written by John Kneubuhl, performed at the Watershed Theatre in 1993 in Auckland and then again in 1995 produced by Cath Cardiff and performed at Taki Rua Theatre in Wellington 1995.
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At the prestigious Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards 1995, the play won Production of the Year and Nathaniel Lees was awarded Director of the Year.
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In 2003, Nathaniel Lees directed The Songmaker's Chair by Albert Wendt.
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Nathaniel Lees directed Awhi Tapu, by Maori playwright Albert Belz.
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Nathaniel Lees featuring a cast of accomplished artists such as Tusi Tamasese, Semu Filipo, Fiona Collins, Tupua Tigafua, Taofi Mose-Nehemia and emerging artists, Albert Latailakepa, Maurea Perez-Varea, Brett Taefu, Jake Arona, Villa Junior, Lanakila Opetaia-Tiatia.