Top 10 Moments That Made Us Love Taika Waititi

Alongside Sterlin Harjo, Waititi co-created the comedy series “Reservation Dogs”, which debuted in 2021. The show centers on a group of Indigenous adolescents as they prepare to move on from their Oklahoma home to greener pastures in California. It features plenty of funny and heartfelt moments as the teens navigate the world around them. Of course, it’s already received many positive reviews from critics and picked up numerous awards and nominations. But what makes this project even more special is that it’s mostly made with the work of an Indigenous cast and crew. Thus, Waititi and the whole team are crucially helping a group that’s historically been ignored feel heard and seen.

During the promotional tour for the release of 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok,” Waititi met up with Collider for their “Ladies Night” series with Alicia Gaynor and Perri Nemiroff. And it was magical. Within the first seconds of the video, he’s playing with fire, getting us amped up. Once the wine is mentioned, Waititi’s sassy side slurps out of him. He confirms that it’s not a proper rosé but rather white zinfandel. And as if his expression when looking at the glass doesn’t say it all, he hilariously confirms it’s not a good beverage at all. He then blows us away with his artistry, drawing Thor-inspired tattoos on Gaynor and Nemiroff’s arms. Waititi’s clearly having a great time, and we’re right there with him.

If you’re a Marvel star, you’ll probably make the jump to another Disney-owned franchise at some point. And for Waititi, that was “Star Wars” with “The Mandalorian,” where he lent his voice to IG-11, an assassin droid. Complete with a Kiwi-accent and robotic tone, he regularly stole the scene whenever his droid popped up. In fact, his voice-over work was so exceptional that it earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination. On top of this, he also flawlessly directed the show’s first season finale. Then, in 2020, it was announced that the New Zealand icon would be co-writing and directing a new movie in the “Star Wars” franchise! Needless to say, we’re obsessed with this.

#7: His Relationship with Rita Ora

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In 2021, it was confirmed that Waititi and singer Rita Ora were dating. And we couldn’t have been more delighted! And they definitely didn’t disappoint when they started attending events together. At the Met Gala that year, Jimmy Fallon was standing all by his lonesome. So Ora and Waititi, the good eggs they are, surrounded the talk show host for some pictures. At the Oscars after-party in 2022, Ora arrived with a stunning Miss Sohee gown. To show the true extent of the piece, Waititi stepped in to straighten out the detailed train for the press to photograph. Those are just some examples of their adorable dynamic. And now, they’re reportedly engaged. These two are clearly couple goals.

#6: His Lip Sync Skills

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He’s a writer, director, actor, producer, and apparently, a lip-syncing pro too. When he appeared on “That’s My Jam” in 2022, Waititi got to karaoke with a slight caveat, lip syncing to a group of inebriated folks that sang "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. Though we can see a hint of pain in his eyes before he starts, he quickly goes all in and digs deep to showcase his comedic chops. Each time the singer changes, his character does too. He’s aggressive, sassy, emotional, theatrical, and more in a pretty short amount of time. Honestly, the range is beyond impressive. Maybe he should pull an Eddie Murphy and put out his own “Norbit”-esque film.

#5: His Friendship with Jemaine Clement

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Who would’ve thought the Victoria University of Wellington could give us a long lasting friendship between two New Zealand stars? But that’s what happened with Waititi and Clement. The two then-up-and-comers even won the Billy T Award for comedy together in 1999. And luckily for us, they’ve worked together regularly over the years, with no signs of stopping anytime soon. Sure, their individual projects, such as Clement’s involvement with “Flight of the Conchords” and Waititi work in the MCU, sometimes take them in different directions. But their friendship has stood the test of time. And they never seem too busy to take funny shots at each other on social media for us all to appreciate!

We don’t know where Waititi finds the time. On top of all the projects we’ve already mentioned that he’s working on, he’s also involved with the smash-hit comedy series “Our Flag Means Death.” The story involves Stede Bonnet, played by the amazing Rhys Darby, who chooses piracy with a dysfunctional crew above life as a Barbadian aristocrat in the 1700s. An executive producer on the series and the pilot’s director, Waititi also perfectly plays the well-known pirate, Blackbeard, sporting stunning bushy facial hair. The show has been heavily praised for its LGBTQIA+ representation, with one highlight being the relationship between Bonnet and Blackbeard. If Waititi’s involved, you know it’s going to be good, and this is proof of that.

#3: Co-Birthing “What We Do in the Shadows”

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Today, “What We Do in the Shadows” is seen as one of the best TV shows around. The vampire mockumentary comedy that came into our lives in 2019 has developed a passionate and vocal cult following. Yet its humble origins go all the way back to 2005 with the short film “What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires.” It was put together by Clement and Waititi, who also starred in it. By 2014, the two had teamed up to make a brilliant “What We Do in the Shadows” film. Then, Clement headed the TV show project, with Waititi serving as one of the executive producers and directors. The duo even wore their fangs once more on the small screen!

#2: Leading Thor

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When Marvel released an iconic mockumentary video in 2016 called “Team Thor," we lost our minds. It showed what the Asgardian thunder was up to while “Captain America: Civil War” was happening – hanging out in Australia with his roommate Darryl. It also spawned two other shorts. And Waititi was responsible for all of that perfection! Thankfully, he was also brought on to direct a mid-credits scene in “Doctor Strange” and, more importantly, 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok.” It was immensely successful and reignited massive interest in the character, proving once more that Waititi is a force to be reckoned with. So you can imagine how excited we were when he followed that with 2022’s “Love and Thunder.” What can we say? Everything he touches turns to gold. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. His 2010 TEDx Talk Watching Him Explain His Creative Process Never Gets Old His New Zealand Air Safety Video This Waititi-Directed Clip Definitely Inspires Us to Take Safety in the Clouds Extra Seriously Dancing in “Boy” He Iconically Channels His Inner Michael Jackson with a New Zealand-Influenced Number “Agree to Disagree” with Chris Evans He’s Ready to Battle It Out with Captain America Over the Big Topics Taking Vanity Fair’s Lie Detector Test Waititi Takes on the Machine with Rhys Darby & Wins Our Hearts in the Process

In 2019, Waititi directed, wrote, and acted in one of the most talked about films of the year, “Jojo Rabbit.” All about a boy in World War II Germany who has Waititi’s portrayal of Hitler as an imaginary friend, the flick resulted in the artist making history. Indeed, he became the first Indigenous person to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the first person of Māori heritage to win in the category. Waititi is really proud of his heritage, and his work beautifully and consistently reflects that. He was notably involved in Disney’s “Moana,” writing the initial script before leaving the project to focus on other pursuits. We’ll never tire of seeing him represent.