Famous people from New Zealand

Edmund Hillary

New Zealand mountaineer (1919–2008)

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Russell Crowe

New Zealand actor

5.62K daily views

Karl Urban

New Zealand actor

2.54K daily views

Lucy Lawless

New Zealand actress

2.67K daily views

Kalyn Ponga

Kalyn Jay Ponga is a professional rugby league footballer who captains and plays as a fullback for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League and Queensland in the State of Origin series. He is the recipient of the 2023 Dally M Medal.

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Liam Lawson

New Zealand motor racing driver

1.35K daily views

Beauden Barrett

Beauden John Barrett is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as first five-eighth or fullback for the All Blacks, Blues and (formerly) Hurricanes in Super Rugby, and Taranaki in the Bunnings NPC.

Bill Sorensen

William Sorensen was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1954, 1957 and 1960 World Cups.

Steven Adams

Steven Funaki Paea He Ofa Ki Loa Adams is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, Adams has played for four NBA teams since making his NBA debut in 2013.

Christopher Luxon

Prime Minister of New Zealand since 2023

Ernest Rutherford

New Zealand physicist and chemist (1871–1937)

Brendan Cole

Brendan Cole is a New Zealand ballroom dancer, specialising in Latin American dancing. He is most famous for appearing as a professional dancer on the BBC One show, Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 to 2017. From 2005 to 2009, he was a judge on the New Zealand version of the show, Dancing with the Stars.

Melanie Lynskey

Melanie Jayne Lynskey is a New Zealand actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women and her command of American accents, she works predominantly in independent films and television. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including three Critics' Choice Awards and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

Tanner Stowers-Smith

Tanner Stowers-Smith is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who plays as prop for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League.

Helen Clark

Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008

Peter Jackson

New Zealand film director, screenwriter, producer and actor (born 1961)

John Key

Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016

Peter Thiel

German-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist (born 1967)

Sam Neill

Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill was a New Zealand actor. Known as a leading man in film and television, he received nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours for services as an actor.

Moses Leota

Moses Leota is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop and lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. He has played for both Samoa and New Zealand at international level. He won the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 NRL Grand Finals with the Penrith Panthers.

Stacey Jones

Stacey William Jones is a New Zealand professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of New Zealand at international level. He is a former professional rugby league footballer who has been named amongst the greatest New Zealand has ever produced.

James Fisher-Harris

James Fisher-Harris is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop forward for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL), and New Zealand and the New Zealand Māori at international level. He co-captains the Warriors and the Māori, and is the sole captain of the New Zealand national team. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers, with whom he won four straight NRL premierships from 2021 to 2024.

Josh Papali'i

Joshua Papali'i is a former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a prop forward for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League. He has played for both Australia and Samoa at international level. He is also the highest-capped Canberra Raiders player of all time.

Sonny Bill Williams

Sonny William Williams is a New Zealand professional boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the country in rugby league, and is one of only 44 players to have won the Rugby World Cup twice.