Rena Owen (born July 22, 1962) is a New Zealand Māori actress in film, theatre and television.
Owen is best known for her role as the abused Māori housewife Beth Heke in the 1994 film Once Were Warriors, in which she played alongside Temuera Morrison. She reprised the role in the film's sequel, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? in 1999. She provided the voice for Taun We in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in 2002 (in which Morrison p...
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Rena Owen (born July 22, 1962) is a New Zealand Māori actress in film, theatre and television.
Owen is best known for her role as the abused Māori housewife Beth Heke in the 1994 film Once Were Warriors, in which she played alongside Temuera Morrison. She reprised the role in the film's sequel, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? in 1999. She provided the voice for Taun We in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in 2002 (in which Morrison played Jango Fett) and appeared in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as Nee Alavar in 2005. Other roles include Rapa Nui in 1994, Nemesis Game in 2003, and Mee-Shee: The Water Giant in 2005.
Owen is originally from Moerewa, a little town in the North Island's Bay of Islands. She comes from a family of nine children. Her father was Māori, her mother Pākēha. While at high school she participated in kapa haka groups and starred in school musicals. Owen trained as a nurse, and spent four years nursing before moving to England.
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