Matewa Kiritapu is a young New Zealand actress best known as the daughter of Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi and film producer Chelsea Winstanley. She attracted public attention after appearing in the 2022 Marvel movie Thor: Love and Thunder, directed by her father. Although her screen appearances have been limited, her connection to a prominent filmmaking family has made her a recognizable name among entertainment fans.
Born in 2015, Matewa has grown up with connections to New Zealand’s creative industry and Māori cultural heritage. Her parents have contributed to internationally recognized films, while her own early acting experiences have introduced her to audiences beyond New Zealand.
Despite this public interest, much of her childhood remains private. Her story is primarily about family, cultural background, and her first experiences in film and television.
Who Is Matewa Kiritapu?
Matewa Kiritapu Waititi is the younger daughter of New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi and producer Chelsea Winstanley. She is known for her appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder and has an additional acting credit in the television comedy Our Flag Means Death.
Her father has built an international reputation through filmmaking, comedy, writing, and acting. Her mother has established a career producing films and supporting Indigenous storytelling.
Growing up in a family connected to the entertainment industry has given Matewa an unusual introduction to filmmaking. However, her limited screen credits do not necessarily mean she intends to pursue acting professionally.
Unlike established celebrities, she has not developed an extensive public career or regularly participated in media interviews. Most available information concerns her family background and early acting appearances.
Matewa Kiritapu’s Early Life and Background
Matewa Kiritapu was reportedly born on August 11, 2015, in New Zealand. Based on that widely reported date, she turned 11 in August 2026.
She grew up in a family with strong connections to filmmaking, artistic expression, and Māori culture. Her parents’ careers have involved both New Zealand productions and international entertainment projects.
Her early childhood coincided with an important period in her father’s career. During those years, Taika Waititi became increasingly prominent in Hollywood while continuing to maintain connections with New Zealand filmmaking.
Although Matewa has appeared publicly alongside family members, detailed information about her upbringing is limited. Her everyday activities, friendships, and schooling have not been extensively documented.
Education and Childhood
There is no reliable public information identifying Matewa Kiritapu’s school or describing her academic progress.
Because she is still a minor, details about her education and daily routine remain appropriately private. Her public appearances and acting credits provide only a small glimpse into her life.
Her childhood differs from that of many established performers because she has not maintained a continuous schedule of publicly announced acting projects.
Meet Matewa Kiritapu’s Parents
Both of Matewa’s parents have significant experience in New Zealand’s entertainment industry, although their careers have developed in different directions.
Father: Taika Waititi
His notable films include Boy (2010), What We Do in the Shadows (2014), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), and Jojo Rabbit (2019).
He also directed the Marvel films Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
Waititi received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit in 2020. His success helped establish him as an internationally recognized filmmaker.
His professional work also includes acting, television production, and creative collaborations across different genres.
Mother: Chelsea Winstanley
<Entity category=”people” value=”Chelsea Winstanley”/> is a New Zealand film producer and filmmaker whose work has contributed to the visibility of Māori storytelling.
She was among the producers of What We Do in the Shadows and Jojo Rabbit, connecting her professional achievements with internationally successful productions.
Winstanley has also supported opportunities for Indigenous filmmakers and advocated for greater representation within the screen industry.
Her career is significant independently of her former marriage to Taika Waititi. Through her production work, she has helped bring New Zealand stories and creative perspectives to wider audiences.
Matewa therefore comes from a family in which filmmaking is more than a single parent’s profession.
Matewa Kiritapu’s Sister and Family Relationships
Matewa has an older sister, Te Kāinga o te Hinekāhu Waititi, commonly referred to as Te Hinekāhu.
The sisters have occasionally appeared together in photographs and at public events involving their father. Both also participated in Thor: Love and Thunder, making the Marvel production a shared family experience.
Taika Waititi and Chelsea Winstanley separated after their marriage. Their two daughters remain connected to both parents.
Waititi later married British singer and actress <Entity category=”musical_artist” value=”Rita Ora”/> in 2022. As a result, Ora became Matewa’s stepmother.
Ora is known internationally for her recording career, television appearances, and acting work. Her marriage to Waititi brought another recognizable entertainment figure into the family’s public story.
Nevertheless, the private relationships between family members are not extensively documented and should not be defined by occasional public appearances.
Matewa Kiritapu’s Acting Career
Matewa Kiritapu’s public acting record includes appearances in a major Marvel film and a television comedy series.
These credits are noteworthy because both productions reached international audiences. They also connect directly with her father’s professional work.
However, two early screen appearances are not enough to establish whether she plans to pursue a long-term acting career.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Directed by Taika Waititi, the film stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, and Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher.
Matewa appeared as an Asgardian child, a small role connected to the film’s storyline involving children from New Asgard.
Her older sister also appeared in the production. Their participation made the movie a family-related creative experience as well as a major Hollywood project.
Although Matewa did not have a leading role, the film introduced her name to Marvel audiences.
Our Flag Means Death
Matewa also has a screen credit in <Entity category=”tv_show” value=”Our Flag Means Death”/>, the comedy television series that premiered in 2022.
The show follows a fictionalized version of pirate Stede Bonnet and features Taika Waititi as the famous pirate Blackbeard.
Matewa is credited with a minor appearance as Girl #2. This additional role shows that her screen experience was not limited to the Marvel film.
The series became known for its unconventional humor, character relationships, and imaginative treatment of pirate history.
Her appearance was small, and no substantial recurring role has been publicly established.
Māori Heritage and Cultural Background
Matewa Kiritapu’s family background includes Māori heritage, connecting her to the Indigenous people of New Zealand.
Māori culture has a long history of storytelling, language, visual arts, performance, and community traditions.
These cultural traditions have also influenced New Zealand cinema, including work created by Māori filmmakers.
Taika Waititi has frequently incorporated New Zealand perspectives and Māori experiences into his films. Chelsea Winstanley’s professional work has likewise supported Indigenous representation.
This background provides meaningful context for Matewa’s family identity.
However, specific details about her personal cultural practices, language abilities, or participation in traditional activities have not been publicly established.
Her heritage is an important part of her family background without defining what her future interests or career must become.
Public Appearances and Media Attention
Matewa has occasionally appeared alongside her father and sister at entertainment-related events.
One reported appearance involved the Los Angeles premiere of Next Goal Wins in 2023, a sports comedy directed by Taika Waititi.
Such appearances have attracted attention because of her father’s international profile and the family’s connections to major entertainment productions.
Still, Matewa has not maintained the kind of public presence associated with adult actors.
Her visibility largely comes from family-related events, existing screen credits, and occasional photographs shared publicly.
This distinction matters because media attention surrounding a famous parent does not automatically make a child a full-time public figure.
What Is Matewa Kiritapu Doing in 2026?
As of 2026, Matewa Kiritapu remains primarily known for her family connections and early screen appearances.
There is no reliably established announcement of a major new acting project or a continuing professional acting schedule.
Her current educational activities, personal interests, and daily life are not publicly documented in detail.
Although her family maintains connections with New Zealand and international entertainment industries, her precise current residence should not be assumed from her parents’ work locations.
Her future professional direction also remains unknown.
She may eventually return to acting, explore another creative field, or pursue interests unrelated to entertainment. None of these possibilities should be presented as a confirmed plan.
Matewa Kiritapu’s Net Worth and Social Media
No verified public figure exists for Matewa Kiritapu’s personal net worth.
Some online biographies assign financial estimates to children of celebrities, but such figures are often unsupported by documented earnings or financial records.
Her father’s professional success does not establish her personal wealth. Likewise, appearing in a major film does not provide enough information to calculate an individual’s finances.
There is also no clearly verified public social media account operated by Matewa herself.
Photographs posted by adult family members should not be confused with an independently managed public account.
Her limited online presence is consistent with the fact that she is still a child rather than an established adult entertainment personality.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matewa Kiritapu
How old is Matewa Kiritapu in 2026?
Matewa Kiritapu is widely reported to have been born on August 11, 2015, making her 11 years old in November 2026. Her exact birth date has not been independently confirmed through an authoritative public record.
Who are Matewa Kiritapu’s parents?
Her parents are Taika Waititi, the Oscar-winning New Zealand filmmaker, and Chelsea Winstanley, a film producer known for her work in New Zealand cinema and Indigenous storytelling.
Was Matewa Kiritapu in Thor: Love and Thunder?
Yes. Matewa appeared as an Asgardian child in the 2022 Marvel film Thor: Love and Thunder, directed by her father. Her older sister also appeared in the movie.
Does Matewa Kiritapu have any siblings?
Yes. She has an older sister named Te Kāinga o te Hinekāhu Waititi, commonly known as Te Hinekāhu. Both sisters have appeared in projects associated with their father’s filmmaking career.
Is Rita Ora Matewa Kiritapu’s mother?
No. Matewa’s biological mother is Chelsea Winstanley. Rita Ora is her stepmother following Ora’s marriage to Taika Waititi in 2022.
Is Matewa Kiritapu still acting?
Matewa has publicly documented credits in Thor: Love and Thunder and Our Flag Means Death. However, there is no confirmed information establishing that she is currently pursuing regular acting work or has signed on to a major upcoming production.
Conclusion
Matewa Kiritapu is a young New Zealander whose public recognition comes from her family background and early appearances in film and television. As the daughter of Taika Waititi and Chelsea Winstanley, she has connections to internationally successful filmmaking and Māori creative traditions.
Her roles in Thor: Love and Thunder and Our Flag Means Death represent her documented screen experience, but they do not determine her future career. Much of her personal life remains private, as is appropriate for someone her age.
For now, Matewa’s story is best understood through her family, cultural background, and limited but recognizable contributions to entertainment.
Also read: Dr. Ed Salinger Net Worth 2026: Career, Family, and Life Story
