Cliff Curtis
Actor · Producer · TV star
Known for
Cliff Curtis is a New Zealand actor of Maori descent from Rotorua who moved from acclaimed local cinema — 'Once Were Warriors' (1994), 'Whale Rider' (2002) — to a prolific Hollywood career playing an astonishing range of ethnicities: Pablo Escobar in 'Blow' (2001), an Iraqi rebel in 'Three Kings' (1999), the gang leader Smiley in 'Training Day' (2001). Television gave him the lead Travis Manawa in 'Fear the Walking Dead' (2015-2017), and James Cameron cast him as the reef clan chief Tonowari in 'Avatar: The Way of Water' (2022). His quiet, grounded intensity makes him endlessly castable.
Cliff Curtis
Actor · Producer · TV star
50 Movies · 12 Series
Cliff Curtis is a New Zealand actor of Maori descent from Rotorua who moved from acclaimed local cinema — 'Once Were Warriors' (1994), 'Whale Rider' (2002) — to a prolific Hollywood career playing an astonishing range of ethnicities: Pablo Escobar in 'Blow' (2001), an Iraqi rebel in 'Three Kings' (1999), the gang leader Smiley in 'Training Day' (2001). Television gave him the lead Travis Manawa in 'Fear the Walking Dead' (2015-2017), and James Cameron cast him as the reef clan chief Tonowari in 'Avatar: The Way of Water' (2022). His quiet, grounded intensity makes him endlessly castable.
Movies
Plays Tonowari
Avatar: Fire and Ash
2025
Plays Smiley
Training Day
2001
Plays Tonowari
Avatar: The Way of Water
2022
Plays Mac
Meg 2: The Trench
2023
Plays Jonah Hobbs
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
2019
Plays Deputy Director Miguel Bowman
Live Free or Die Hard
2007
Plays James 'Mac' Mackreides
The Meg
2018
Plays Cy Coates
Bringing Out the Dead
1999
Plays Billy Freeman
Doctor Sleep
2019
Plays Emilio
Colombiana
2011
Plays Maori native
Mars Attacks!
1996
Plays Fire Lord Ozai
The Last Airbender
2010
Plays Escobar
Blow
2001
Plays Detective Flores
Fracture
2007
Plays Tic-Tic
10,000 BC
2008
Plays Mamooli
Deep Rising
1998
Plays Cyrus Booth
Reminiscence
2021
Plays Claudio Perrini
Collateral Damage
2002
Plays Sheikh Fadlallah
The Insider
1999
Plays Kip
Six Days Seven Nights
1998
Plays Hook Waters
Push
2009
Plays Lt. Cortez
Last Knights
2015
Plays Searle
Sunshine
2007
Plays Amir Abdullah
Three Kings
1999
Plays Andre Jenson (Captain)
Last Breath
2025
Plays Frank Herrera
Runaway Jury
2003
Plays Yeshua
Risen
2016
Plays Captain Ariel
The Fountain
2006
Plays Mana
The Piano
1993
Plays Porourangi
Whale Rider
2003
Plays Javier
Murina
2022
Plays Hamid Baraheri
Crossing Over
2009
Plays Ben Bryant
True Spirit
2023
Plays The Evil But Handsome Prince Khalid
The Majestic
2001
Plays Hiko
Virus
1999
Plays Dr. Sinja
A Thousand Words
2012
Plays Tonowari
Avatar 4
2029
Plays Bully
Once Were Warriors
1994
Plays Wi Toka
In the Fire of War
2024
Plays Tonowari
Avatar 5
2031
Plays Short Ears
Rapa Nui
1994
Plays Billy Williams
Jubilee
2000
Producer
Plays Tāwharau ‘Taffy’
The Raid
2022
Plays Wiremu
River Queen
2005
Producer
Plays Genesis
The Dark Horse
2014
Plays Inspector Franklin
Fracture
2004
Plays Pizza Delivery Man
Heinous Crime
2004
Plays Fraser
Desperate Remedies
1993
Plays Zeke
Chicken
1996
TV Shows
Plays Travis Manawa
Fear the Walking Dead
2015
Plays Reuben 'Rabbit' Palchuck
Trauma
2009
Plays Javier Acosta
Gang Related
2014
Plays Paul (voice)
INVINCIBLE
2021
Plays Dax Miller
Missing
2012
Producer
Plays Keoua
Chief of War
2025
Plays Robert
Swift Street
2024
Plays Poseidon
KAOS
2024
Plays Jason Trissop
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
2023
Plays Adam Kadyrov
Traffic
2004
Plays FBI Special Agent Derek Ames
Body of Proof
2011
Plays Nemis
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
1995
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Full Filmography 62
Avatar 5
Tonowari
2031
Avatar 4
Tonowari
2029
INVINCIBLE
Paul (voice)
2026Season 4
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Jason Trissop
2026Season 2
Chief of War
Keoua · 9 episodes
2025
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Tonowari
2025
Last Breath
Andre Jenson (Captain)
2025
INVINCIBLE
Paul (voice)
2025Season 3
Swift Street
Robert · 8 episodes
2024
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Cliff Curtis and where are they from?
Cliff Curtis is 58 years old, born on July 27, 1968 in Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand.
What are the most famous roles of Cliff Curtis?
Cliff Curtis is best known for roles in Avatar: The Way of Water, The Meg, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.
How many movies has Cliff Curtis been in?
Over a 33-year career (since 1993), Cliff Curtis has appeared in 50 movies and 12 TV shows.
What was Cliff Curtis's first movie?
The career of Cliff Curtis began with The Piano (1993).
What is Cliff Curtis's most recent movie or series?
Cliff Curtis's most recent release is Avatar: Fire and Ash, which premiered on December 17, 2025.
What TV shows has Cliff Curtis appeared in?
On television, Cliff Curtis has appeared in INVINCIBLE, Fear the Walking Dead, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
Does Cliff Curtis have any upcoming projects?
Yes, Cliff Curtis's upcoming work includes: Avatar 4 (2029), Avatar 5 (2031).
Cliff Curtis
1968-07-27 · Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand
Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis (born July 27, 1968) is a New Zealand actor. His film credits include Once Were Warriors (1994), Three Kings (1999), Training Day (2001), Whale Rider (2002), Collateral Damage (2002), Sunshine, Live Free or Die Hard (both 2007), The Dark Horse (2014), for which he won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actor, Doctor Sleep (2019), Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). His television roles include NBC's Trauma, and ABC's Body of Proof and Missing. From 2015 to 2017, he portrayed Travis Manawa on the AMC horror drama series Fear the Walking Dead.
He is the co-owner of the independent New Zealand production company Whenua Films.