Pete Smith
Born(1958-08-07)7 August 1958
Kaitaia, New Zealand
Died29 January 2022(2022-01-29) (aged 63)
Kaitaia, New Zealand
SpouseMona Papali’i
Children6

Peter Bruce Smith (7 August 1958 – 29 January 2022) was a New Zealand actor. He performed in important New Zealand films such as The Piano (1993) and Once Were Warriors (1995), as well working on well known television shows, including appearances on The Billy T James Show (1990) and Shortland Street in 1999.

Career

At the outset of his career, Smith joined a drama course run by Maori film maker Don Selwyn, and soon thereafter performed in several of Selwyn's theatre productions, among them The Gospel according to Taane (1985), The Maori Merchant of Venice (2002) and Te Whai Ao.

Smith made his screen debut with a GOFTA-winning role as one of the last people on earth, in science fiction film The Quiet Earth (1985).

His film credits include many notable New Zealand films, among them The Piano (1993), Once Were Warriors (1995), and the latter's sequel What Becomes of the Broken Hearted (1999). He also featured as an orc in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). Additionally, he appeared in the Australian film The Boys in 1998.

Smith also appeared in several television programmes, including E Tipu E Rea (1989), Marlin Bay (1992–94), Plainclothes (1995), Shortland Street (1999), Greenstone (1999), and Mataku (2001–04).[1] He also starred in the drama series The Market (2005), for which he received an award for Best Performance by a supporting Actor at the Air New Zealand Screen Awards.

He performed in comedy skits and sketches in The Billy T James Show (1990) and current events satires Issues and More Issues (1991). Smith has also featured in and narrated several commercials and documentaries.

Smith created, presented, narrated, and directed several episodes of various documentary series, among them Nga Waiata o Te Hiku o Te Ika: Songs of the North (2002)[2] and Maramataka: Once Were Gardeners (2007). The latter, a 13-part series screened on Māori Television, was a look at modern Māori relationships with the land.

Personal life and death

Smith died from kidney disease on 29 January 2022, at the age of 63.[3]

Awards

Smith won best supporting actor in New Zealand drama feature film Flight of the Albatross (1995).[4]

In 2006, he won Best Performance by a Supporting Actor at the Air New Zealand Screen Awards for his role in The Market.[5]

Selected filmography

Film

Film Year Role
The Quiet Earth 1985 Api
Pandemonium 1987 Peter Kong
Candy Regentag 1989 Clayton
Angel in Green 1987 Ramon
Crush 1992 Horse
The Piano 1993 Hone
Rapa-Nui 1994 Priest
Once Were Warriors 1994 Dooleys
Flight of the Albatross 1995 Leading
The Boys 1997 Abbo
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted 1998 Apeman
The Legend of Johnny Lingo 2002 Scary Chief
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003 Hero Orc
Spooked 2004 Truck Driver
Hugh and Heke 2006 Heke
The Tattooist 2006 Taxi Driver
The One Armed Bandit 2012 Bill the barman

Television

Title Year Role
Heroes 1986 Churchill
E tipu e rea: Eel 1989 Tom
Raiders of the Southseas 1990 George
The Billy T James Show 1990 Guest
Opo 1991 Dan
Gold 1991 Pita
Issues 1991 Skits
More Issues 1991–1992 Skit Guest
Marlin Bay 1992–1994 Matiu Burrows
The New Adventures of the Black Stallion 1992 Park Ranger
Maori Myths and Legends 1993 Presenter
High Tide 1995 Mexican
Plainclothes 1995 Oscar Kingi
A question of justice 1995 David Tamihere
Letter to Blanchy 1995 Guest Lead
Hei Konei Ra 1998 Lead
Greenstone 1999 Wahana
Shortland Street 1999 Te Hamua
Mataku 2001 Pahi
Spin Doctors 2001 Dunn
Mataku 2004 Ngamanu
The Market 2005 Chris Johnstone

Theatre

Play Year Role
The Gospel According to Taane 1985 Tu
Treat it Right - Pita
Murder in the Cathedral - 3rd Tempter
The Maori Merchant of Venice 2002 Shylock
Te Whai Ao -

References

  1. ↑ "Pete Smith". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  2. ↑ "Ngā Waiata O te Hiku O te Ika".
  3. ↑ Skipwith, David (29 January 2022). "New Zealand actor and Once Were Warriors star Pete Smith dies, age 63". Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  4. ↑ Der Flug des Albatros - IMDb, retrieved 24 February 2022
  5. ↑ Jean, Rachel (3 March 2006). "Isola Productions news entry". isola Productions LTD. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
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