Taika Waititi is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He has directed several critically acclaimed movies, including "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," "Jojo Rabbit," and "Thor: Ragnarok." Waititi has won several awards for his work, including an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Jojo Rabbit." He is also known for his offbeat sense of humor and has appeared in various TV shows and films, including "The Mandalorian" and "Free Guy."
1) Music - it's motivational and makes you relax.
2) People overcoming the odds is an essential part of humanity, and I don't think we get to celebrate that as much as we should.
When people achieve great things despite facing tough challenges, it's an important aspect of being human. We don't acknowledge it enough, and we should celebrate these triumphs more often.
3) Indigenous people in films, it's all, like nose flutes and panpipes and, you know, people talking to ghosts... which I hate.
When indigenous people are shown in movies, it's often in a stereotypical way with things like nose flutes and panpipes, and talking to ghosts. This is something that the speaker hates because it's not an accurate representation of their culture.
4) My favorite kind of comedy comes from the awkwardness of living, the stuff that makes you cringe but borders on tragedy - that is more interesting to me. It resonates; it comes from emotional truth.
I love comedy that makes us cringe because it's so relatable. It's the funny moments that stem from the struggles of everyday life. That kind of humor feels real and honest, and that's what I find most interesting.
5) At the end of the day, the reality is we're all losers, and we're all uncoordinated. We're the worst of all of the animals on earth, and there's something quite endearing about that.
When the day is over, we all make mistakes and don't always work well together. Compared to other animals, we're not the best, but that's what makes us unique and loveable.
6) Kids are always very savvy. It doesn't take long for a kid to realize when an adult is a loser.
Kids are smart and can quickly figure out when an adult is not cool or successful. They have a keen sense of judgment and can spot losers in no time.
7) In a lot of my films, the biggest theme is family, making families out of those around you.
In many of my movies, I focus on the importance of family. Sometimes, family doesn't just mean your relatives, but the people who become like family to you. It's about creating connections and building a sense of belonging.
8) I don't like laughing at people unless they're in a privileged position or if they're in authority. If it's poor people or people who live on the outskirts or on the margins, or the underdog, I'd rather be laughing with them.
I don't enjoy making fun of others unless they have power or advantages over others. Instead, I prefer to laugh with people who might not have those privileges, like those living on the edges of society or those who are considered underdogs.
9) My father is a visual artist, so I was influenced by him, and my mother is an English teacher who forced me to read a lot of books and poetry and get involved in theatre. I developed a varied taste for different arts.
Because my dad is an artist, I learned to appreciate and enjoy art. My mom, an English teacher, made me read books and do theater, which made me interested in many different types of art.
10) Most people in their lives do feel like they are outsiders at some point.
At some point in life, many people feel like they don't quite fit in and are on the outside looking in. This is a common experience that can help us empathize with others and appreciate the value of diversity.
11) We've got a thing called the 'tall poppy syndrome' in New Zealand, where if anyone is doing really well, it's quite common to try and bring them down - like, cut them down and say, 'You've been to the moon? So what? I mean, plenty of people have been to the moon.'
In New Zealand, there's a bad habit of cutting down successful people. Even if someone has achieved something amazing like going to the moon, some people will still try to bring them down by saying it's not a big deal. It's called the "tall poppy syndrome".
12) I'm in all my films, I can't help it. I just jam myself in there if there's a space.
I always appear in my movies, I can't stop myself. Whenever there's an empty spot, I find a way to fit myself in.
13) Maori get pigeonholed into the idea they're spiritual and telling stories like 'Whale Rider' and 'Once Were Warriors,' quite serious stuff, but we're pretty funny people, and we never really have had an opportunity to show that side of ourselves, the clumsy, nerdy side of ourselves, which is something I am.
People often think Maori are only serious and spiritual, like in movies such as 'Whale Rider' and 'Once Were Warriors.' But we're actually funny and nerdy too. We just haven't had a chance to show that side of ourselves, which is something I am.
14) I don't mind going from sadness to comedy in a split second or mixing the two up.
Sometimes I switch quickly from feeling sad to feeling happy or I combine the two emotions together. It doesn't bother me because life is full of different emotions and experiences.
15) I play music all the time because silence freaks me out.
I love playing music all the time because I don't like being in complete silence. It can feel scary and make me uncomfortable. Music helps me feel better and fills the quietness.
16) If someone asked, 'What are your films like?,' the best I can come up with is that they're, like, a fine balance between comedy and drama. And they deal mainly with the clumsiness of humanity.
If someone asked about my films, I'd say they're a mix of funny and serious moments. They're mostly about how people make mistakes and aren't perfect. We all stumble sometimes, but that's what makes us human.
17) I daydream all the time.
I love to imagine things and get lost in my thoughts. I often daydream about different scenarios and adventures, even if they may not happen in real life. It's a fun way to escape reality for a little while.
18) I've loved vampires since I was a kid or many of the vampire movies I saw. Anything with sharp teeth, really. I remember You could get those fake vampire teeth, and I remember just keeping them in all the time.
When I was young, I loved vampires! I watched a lot of movies with them and was fascinated by their sharp teeth. I even wore fake vampire teeth all the time because it made me feel like one of them.
19) 'Boy' was about my dad.
The song "Boy" is actually about my father. I wrote it to express my feelings towards him and our relationship. It's a way for me to share my emotions and connect with others who might have similar experiences.
20) I loved 'Iron Man,' you know, with a passion. I thought that was the freshest, cool thing, in terms of superhero movies, that I'd seen in a long time.
I really, really liked the movie 'Iron Man'! It was so awesome and different from other superhero movies I had seen before. It made me really excited and happy.
21) One of my favorite books, when I was young, was 'Wuthering Heights.'
When I was younger, I really loved reading the book 'Wuthering Heights.' It was one of my favorites! It tells a story of love, passion, and revenge set against the wild and moody landscape of the English countryside.
22) A set should be like a family, except that you all actually like each other.
23) My world is not a spectacle and explosion. It's two people talking.
The world I live in isn't just about flashy things like big explosions or exciting shows. For me, it's more about connecting with others and having meaningful conversations that help me understand myself and the people around me.
24) When I play characters, I like playing people who just comment on stuff, stand around, and talk.
25) I've always found the script to be more of a skeleton, the template.
To me, a script is just the basic structure or outline of a story. It's like a skeleton that needs to be fleshed out with details, dialogue, and character development to make it come alive on screen or stage.
26) I like flawed characters, and I like seeing people who are supposed to be not villains but antagonists. There are elements to them, that are really annoying, but you kind of see where they came from. You see the things that caused those inadequacies.
I enjoy characters who aren't perfect and maybe even a bit irritating, but not necessarily bad guys. They have reasons for their flaws, and it's interesting to understand what caused them to be that way.
27) I wish I was less good-looking and more unpopular. Then I could get into politics and use my pent-up resentment about being ugly and unpopular to systematically destroy the country.
It's not okay to wish to be less attractive and disliked just to have a chance in politics. It's also not okay to want to destroy a country because of personal resentment. Let's focus on positive ways to make a difference instead.
28) You can have integrity with your art, but worrying about integrity doesn't pay the bills.
You can stay true to your artistic vision, but sometimes making money is more important. It's okay to compromise a little to pay your bills, but don't sacrifice your entire artistic integrity.
29) I've been on a lot of film sets, and I've always promised myself I wouldn't create a set where people dread coming to work.
I've been on many movie sets, and I don't want to create one where people don't enjoy coming to work. I want everyone to have a good time while making a great movie."
30) 'Eagle vs. Shark' was about keeping myself sane. I wanted to go back to my comedy roots with people I trusted and had worked with before and do something low-budget and more experimental.
"Eagle vs. Shark" was a movie that helped me stay mentally healthy. I wanted to make something funny and creative with my friends, without spending a lot of money. It was a way to get back to my comedic roots and try something new.
31) The characters I create are just mixtures of the people I know.
The people I know inspire the characters I create. I take different traits from them and combine them to make unique characters. It's like mixing ingredients together to make a new recipe.
32) In my films, a lot of the situations come from real life.
The things that happen in my movies are often based on things that happen in real life. I get my ideas from things that I see or experience, and then I turn them into stories that people can watch on the screen.
33) I'm always fascinated by the theme of children who parent adults.
It's interesting to me when children take care of adults instead of the other way around. It's like the roles are reversed and it makes me wonder why that happens.
34) I'm not interested in doing work that doesn't captivate me.
I want to do work that excites me and keeps me interested. If a task is boring, I'm not interested in doing it because I won't enjoy it and won't be motivated to do my best."
35) The ridiculous events in everyday life are often overlooked - people don't recognize them as potentially cinematic.
Everyday life is full of funny and strange things that could make great movies. But people don't realize it because they think these things are too ordinary or unimportant.
36) Actors are terrible at overthinking things before they turn up to work, and they decide on a way they're going to do it, and then it's hard to break them out of it.
Actors can sometimes think too much before going to work, deciding on how they will act, making it difficult to change their approach. This can be a problem, as it may not allow them to fully adapt to the role they're playing.
37) You have to write what you know.
Write about what you have experience with or knowledge of, as this will make your writing more authentic and believable. It's easier to write well about something you understand deeply.
38) New Zealand was such a weird place in the 1980s. For instance, we used to have this commercial in the late 1970s where this guy drove a car and stopped outside a corner store. He goes in to buy something, and when he comes out, his car is gone. He's like, 'Huh?' Then a voice says, 'Don't leave your keys in the car.'
In the 1980s, New Zealand was a unique and different place. There was a funny commercial on TV where a man parked his car outside a store, went inside to buy something, and when he came back, his car was gone! A voice then said, "Don't leave your keys in the car."
39) Shooting a movie should be fun! It's not a real job. It can be hard, but at the end of the day, we're dressing up and playing pretend.
Making a movie is like playing dress-up and make-believe but on a big scale! It might be tough work, but it should also be enjoyable. It's not like a regular job, it's a chance to have fun and be creative.
40) I think our first heroes with whom we discover flaws are our parents.
Our parents are usually the first people we look up to as heroes. But as we grow up, we may realize that they are not perfect and have flaws. This can be a challenging but important lesson in our personal growth.
41) I actually keep having this one recurring dream where I'm a little number standing in a line of other numbers that look identical to me. Then there are more and more of these numbers that follow me, again and again, and again. It's more of a nightmare.
I have a dream that scares me, where I'm a tiny number standing with other identical numbers in a line. Then more and more numbers appear, following me over and over again. It feels like a nightmare.
42) I think I'm a better filmmaker than an actor, so I already know that. That's OK. I can handle not being a famous actor.
I believe I'm better at making movies than acting, and that's okay. I'm fine with not being a famous actor because I know my strengths and I'm comfortable with my abilities.
43) I've always said that, first and foremost, I make films for New Zealanders. They're my target audience. Then after that, if people appreciate my stories from outside this country, that's an added bonus.
I create movies for the people of New Zealand, they're the ones I want to entertain the most. If others from different places also like my films, that's great, but it's not my main goal."
44) We all have to remember that New Zealand is built on this kind of people who are rebels and renegades, people doing it their own way, fighting for freedom, and braving the elements. I think it's cool to celebrate that.
45) I come from a country whose idea of masculinity is quite extreme, and I've grown up around a lot of that energy. I've been part of that a lot. And it's very draining; it's quite tiring trying to be macho.
I'm from a place where being tough and strong is very important for guys, and I've been around that kind of behavior a lot. But it's exhausting always trying to act tough and macho, and it wears me out.
46) I always wanted to play a dapper gentleman, and I also always wanted to play my mum.
I wanted to act as a stylish man, and I also wanted to act as my own mother.
47) I'm not very proud of coming from a place that everyone thinks is this pure green country whereas, in reality, all our lakes and waterways are poison.
I feel sad that people see my hometown as a beautiful and clean place when the truth is that our lakes and rivers are polluted. It's hard to be proud of where I'm from when we're not taking care of it.
48) I love living in New Zealand.
Living in New Zealand is amazing! I love the beautiful scenery, friendly people, and laid-back lifestyle. It's a great place to explore and enjoy the outdoors, and there's always something fun to do.
49) I've never been a guy who was anal about housework. A typical Wellington flat when I was flatting was a warehouse with, basically, sheets hung up for walls.
I'm not really into keeping my living space spotless. When I lived in a shared house in Wellington, it was pretty rough and ready - we just used sheets as makeshift walls in a big empty space.
50) I come from a big extended family, so it's very normal to be around babies, but when it's your own, it's a very different experience for us.
Growing up in a large family, being around babies was common, but having your own is a whole new experience. It's unique and special, unlike anything you've experienced before because this little life is now your own responsibility.
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