Te Hinekāhu — Facts about Taika Waititi's Daughter Who 'Blessed' His Life

Te Hinekāhu has surprised the world with her acting debut in the latest Marvel film directed by none other than her father, award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi. Get to know little Te Hinekāhu.

Released very recently, "Thor: Love and Thunder" is the fourth film in the "Thor" saga and marks Te Hinekāhu's first appearance in a major motion picture. The movie stars Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman.

Thor's Kingdom of Asgard included many child actors, including Te Hinekāhu. Thanks to the support of her famous dad, the little girl has realized her acting dreams.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TE HINEKĀHU

Te Hinekāhu was born on May 20, 2012. The nine-year-old young actress's father is Taika Waititi, and her mother is Chelsea Winstanley.

Waititi, an acclaimed filmmaker, has a fantastic relationship with his adorable daughter. On the little girl's recent birthday, Waititi sent a heartfelt tribute to her on Instagram, in which he wrote:

“Te Kāinga o te Hinekāhu Waititi. 9 years ago you blessed my life by coming into my world. Thank you and happy birthday, kōtiro toa."

Winstanley, like Waititi, recently wished her daughter a happy birthday on Instagram with a sweet photo of herself cradling Te Hinekāhu in her arms. The proud mother's message read:

"To my baby girl Te Hinekāhu Waititi who came into this world and blessed our lives 8yrs ago, thank you. Shine bright my love."

Te Hinekāhu, just like any other child, lives her life without any worries or concerns. She enjoys making crafts, playing with Lego pieces, and dressing up as her favorite superheroes.

Te Hinekāhu seemed to be content with her childhood bliss, despite her parents' divorce. It was recently reported that Winstanley had divorced Waititi after six years of marriage.

The couple reportedly tied the knot in New York City in 2012. Winstanley reportedly hinted at their breakup after the 2020 Oscars by uploading a selfie with her mother during the event.

Amid the pair's split, Waititi allegedly started dating British pop singer Rita Ora in 2021 while shooting a movie in Australia. The rumored couple was spotted together in public in Sydney.

Ora is one of the judges on "The Voice: Australia." Waititi and the pop artist ultimately made their first public appearance at "The Suicide Squad" premiere in Los Angeles, California.

Even though they no longer live together, the former couple works closely on film sets whenever possible and prioritizes spending quality time with their daughter.

TE HINEKĀHU'S FAMILY

Film-making runs in Te Hinekāhu's veins. Waititi, born in Wellington, New Zealand, is an Academy Award-winning and BAFTA–nominated filmmaker highly respected by his colleagues.

Te Hinekāhu is no rookie when it comes to the filming environment.

Waititi initially started his Hollywood career as an actor, but he has since shifted his concentration to writing and directing. His background is interesting and diverse.

Robin Cohen, his mother, has Ashkenazi Jewish, Irish, Scottish, and English descent. She is a painter and educator. Waititi's father- who shares the same name as him- has Maori ancestry with a trace of French Canadian origin.

The multi-awarded Kiwi filmmaker has shifted his focus from acting to writing and directing, but he has appeared in a number of films during his career so far.

Waititi's filmmaking credits include the recently released "Thor: Love and Thunder," the 2017 "Thor: Ragnarok," and the 2010 film "Boy." Meanwhile, Hinekahu's mom is a film producer, who is also from New Zealand.

Winstanley served as the film producer for both Waititi's horror mockumentary "What We Do in the Shadows" and the drama film "Jojo Rabbit," both released in 2019.

She is a member of the part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, dedicated to producers, and is now residing and working in New Zealand. She is also a successful writer and director.

Te Hinekāhu is not only the former pair's daughter. Waititi and Winstanley are also parents to a six-year-old daughter, Matewa Kiritapu, who was born on August 20, 2015.

TE HINEKĀHU'S INTRODUCTION TO THE FILM INDUSTRY

Te Hinekāhu is no rookie when it comes to the filming environment. She has been following her father around movie shoots since she was a little girl. Acting in her father's latest film, "Thor: Love And Thunder," was likely not a difficult transition.

She and her sister had minor roles in the highly-successful film. Along with the children of the film's lead actors, Te Hinekāhu and her sister played Asgardian children. The film also features the children of Hemsworth, Portman, and Bale.

Tessa Thompson, who portrays Valkyrie in the film and is responsible for instructing the next generation of warriors, said having children on site reminded her how goofy filmmaking can be.

Waititi said that having their children appear in the movie in supporting roles was not the original plan. The idea began when Hemsworth mentioned his daughter India and how much fun it would be to act in a scene with her.

After giving it some thought and taking a look around, Waititi realized that every actor playing an important role has children. The youngsters did more than just star in the film; they also helped out behind the scenes.

The children conceptualized the terrifying shadow monsters that Gorr calls upon in the film. Waititi recalled his daughter asking him what the shadow demon was one day while he was writing the script.

When Waititi said he didn't know, she went off and sketched one. He then handed the sketch to Visual Development, where it was transformed into a fully rendered monster.

Just like a true celebrity, Te Hinekāhu went to see the premiere of "Thor: Love and Thunder" with her father and sister. The promising actress made quite an impression on the spectators.