Pana Hema Taylor


Pana Hema Taylor is a New Zealand television actor of Māori heritage, best known for his roles in , The Brokenwood Mysteries and Westside.

Personal life

Pana Hema Taylor grew up in the town of Wairoa, where he became involved with the Mongrel Mob. In order to keep him from becoming a gang member, his parents, who had split up a while before, decided that he should live with his father in Christchurch, New Zealand where he attended Aranui High School. In 2007, he won best actor for his role as Mercutio in the school's production of Romeo & Juliet.
In 2009, 20-year-old Hema Taylor met 38-year-old actress Danielle Cormack when she was the costume/set designer on a play he was in. The two have a son, Te Ahi Ka, born 19 March 2010. In March 2015, Tiare Masina, his daughter was born.

Career

Hema Taylor was first seen on TV in 2007 on the Māori language educational series Whanau. He has since worked on various New Zealand feature films including Boy and Kawa. Hema Taylor is best known for his work in the Starz television series ' and ', playing the role of the Syrian rebel Nasir. In 2014 he was cast as Mana in the New Zealand action film The Dead Lands.
He starred as Jared in The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 1-3, and as Bert in Westside.

Filmography

Film

Television