Maaka Pohatu is a New Zealand actor and musician. He is also a founding member of Māori showband the

Modern Māori Quartet The Modern Māori Quartet (MMQ) is a showband musical group from New Zealand. The group comprises core members James Tito, Matariki Whatarau, Maaka Pohatu and Francis Kora, with occasional rotation of the lineup depending on availability of t ...

. He co-wrote and performed songs, with the other band members, for the Modern Māori Quartet's debut album ''That's Us!'' (2017). Pohatu co-stars on the New Zealand mockumentary comedy horror television series ''

Wellington Paranormal ''Wellington Paranormal'' is a New Zealand mockumentary comedy horror television series which first aired on 11 July 2018 on TVNZ 2. The series is a spin-off of the 2014 film ''What We Do in the Shadows'' and first television series in the franc ...

'', part of the ''What We Do in the Shadows'' franchise. In 2018, Pohatu, along with other members of Modern Māori Quartet, began touring their cabaret show ''Modern Māori Quartet: Two Worlds''. Pohatu co-hosted

Māori Television Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

's ''My Party Song'' as part of the Modern Māori Quartet. He had featured roles in the films ''Two Little Boys'' (2012) and ''Poi E'' (2016).

Early life

Pohatu was born in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

, New Zealand and is of

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

(

Ngāi Tāmanuhiri Ngāi Tāmanuhiri is a Māori iwi of New Zealand and were formerly known by the name of Ngai Tahu, and Ngai Tahu-po respectively. They are descendants of Tahu-nui (also known as Tahu potiki, or Tahu matua) who is also the eponymous ancestor of ...

Ngāti Apa Ngāti Apa is a Māori iwi (tribe) in Rangitikei District of New Zealand. Its rohe (traditional tribal lands) extend between the Mangawhero, Whangaehu, Turakina and Rangitīkei rivers. This area is bounded by Whanganui River in the north-west ...

Ngāti Tūwharetoa Ngāti Tūwharetoa is an iwi descended from Ngātoro-i-rangi, the priest who navigated the Arawa canoe to New Zealand. The Tūwharetoa region extends from Te Awa o te Atua ( Tarawera River) at Matatā across the central plateau of the North ...

) descent. He is a graduate of

Toi Whakaari Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School is New Zealand's national drama school. It was established in 1970 and is located in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Te Whaea: National Dance & Drama Centre. Toi Whakaari offers training in acting, costume constru ...

: New Zealand Drama School (Te Kura Toi Whakaari ō Aotearoa), earning a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting) in 2005.

Career

Theatre

Pohatu performed as Ajax in the te reo Māori version of ''

Troilus and Cressida ''The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida'', often shortened to ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ), is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forc ...

'' at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was ...

in London, alongside fellow Toi Whakaari graduates and Modern Māori Quartet bandmates, James Tito (Diomedes) and Matu Ngaropo (Achilles). In January 2020, Pohatu performed in ''Modern Māori Quartet: Two Worlds'' at the

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

theatre,

SoHo Playhouse The SoHo Playhouse is an Off-Broadway theatre at 15 Vandam Street in the Hudson Square area of Manhattan. The theatre opened in 1962 as the Village South Theatre with the original production of Jean Erdman's musical play ''The Coach with the S ...

Film and television

Pohatu made his movie debut as Gav, flatmate to

Bret McKenzie Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie (born 29 June 1976) is a New Zealand musician, comedian, music supervisor, and actor. He is best known as one half of musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Jemaine Clement. In the 2000s, the duo's com ...

's character, in ''

Two Little Boys "Two Little Boys" is a sentimental song about two friends who grow up to be soldiers. Recorded as early as 1903 in the United States, it became an international hit for Australian Rolf Harris 66 years later. It was published in 1903 by American ...

'' (2012). He portrayed

Dalvanius Prime Maui Dalvanius Prime (16 January 1948 – 3 October 2002) was a New Zealand entertainer and songwriter. His career spanned 30 years. He mentored many of New Zealand's Māori performers, and was a vocal and forthright supporter of Māori culture. ...

, the Māori musical legend behind the 1984 te reo Māori hit "

Poi E "Poi E" is a song by New Zealand group Pātea Māori Club off the album of the same name. Released in 1983, the song was sung entirely in the Māori language and featured a blend of Māori cultural practices in the song and accompanying music ...

", in the film ''Poi E'' (2016). Pohatu, and the other members of the ''Modern Māori Quartet'', served as the in-house band on Māori television’s variety show, ''Happy Hour'' (2014). He also acted in some of the show's comedy sketches. He plays the role of Sergeant Ruawai Maaka on ''

'', the New Zealand television spin-off of

Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. Known for quirky comedy films and expanding his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects, he ...

and

Jemaine Clement Jemaine Atea Mahana Clement (born 10 January 1974) is a New Zealand actor, comedian, musician, and filmmaker. He has released several albums with Bret McKenzie as the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, and created a comedy TV series t ...

's mockumentary ''

What We Do in the Shadows ''What We Do in the Shadows'' is a 2014 New Zealand mockumentary comedy horror film written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi and the first installment in the ''What We Do in the Shadows'' franchise. The film also stars Cleme ...

''. In 2024 he appeared in ''

The Rule of Jenny Pen ''The Rule of Jenny Pen'' is a 2024 New Zealand psychological horror film based on Owen Marshall's short story of the same name. Directed by James Ashcroft and written by Ashcroft and Eli Kent, it stars John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush, and Geo ...

''.

Music

Pohatu is a member of the Māori showband the Modern Māori Quartet, alongside Francis Kora, Matariki Whatarau and James Tito.

Personal life

Pohatu has been given the nickname "Human Jukebox" because of his extensive musical knowledge.

Discography

* ''Happy Hour'' (2014) * ''That's Us!'' (2017)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pohatu, Maaka Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Actors from Dunedin 21st-century New Zealand guitarists 21st-century New Zealand male actors 21st-century New Zealand male singers Musicians from Dunedin New Zealand male film actors New Zealand male Māori actors New Zealand male singer-songwriters New Zealand singer-songwriters New Zealand male television actors New Zealand Māori male singers Ngāti Apa people Ngāti Tūwharetoa people Ngāi Tāmanuhiri people Toi Whakaari alumni