Down-to-earth Cliff 'I'LL NEVER FORGET MY ROOTS'

He may be a big deal in Hollywood, but he says Rotorua will always be home

- Catherine Milford

Cliff Curtis is a man of very many talents. His on-screen accolades include roles in several top New Zealand movies, including The Piano, Boy, Once Were Warriors, Whale Rider and The Dark Horse, and Hollywood blockbusters like Fast & Furious, Avatar: The Way of Water, Live Free or Die Hard, The Meg 2 and Fear the Walking Dead. But the Rotorua-born actor has many more strings to his bow.

Cliff, 56, has just returned from London, where he’s been acting in his first play for 30 years, East is South, in North London.

“That was a challenge,” he admits. “I did that to humble myself, to act in front of people rather than cameras. And the topic fascinated me. It was set in a secure facility where artificial intelligence – AI – is on the verge of AGI – artificial general intelligence.”

Technology is a topic that fascinates Cliff, although he makes sure he takes time to switch off from it, too.

“I turn off from the news and phones sometimes,” he shares. “It’s healthy and makes you focus on where you are in the moment. Like, when I’m with my kids or with people I care about and love. It’s important to be attentive to that, to disengage from the noise. To prioritise the people in your life is very liberating.”