She was born in Donnybrook, Western Australia to a Maori mother and an Australian father. After living in Australia for a few years the family moved to New Zealand.

On January 27, 2004, she became the youngest person ever nominated for the Academy Awards' Oscar for Best Actress, for her portrayal of Paikea (Pai) in the low-budget movie Whale Rider. Despite not possessing any previous acting experience, she was picked for the part from her Auckland classroom, and was 11 years old when the film began shooting in New Zealand in 2002. She received widespread critical acclaim for her performance which won four other awards.

Her next role will be a "regal leader" in Star Wars - Episode III.

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