Keisha Castle-Hughes
Keisha Castle-Hughes
Keisha Castle-Hughesis an Australian-born New Zealand actress who rose to prominence for playing Paikea "Pai" Apirana in the film Whale Rider. The film was nominated for many awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actress for which she was at the time the youngest person nominated in the Best Actress category and an award at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards for Best Young Actor/Actress, which she won in 2004...
NationalityNew Zealander
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth24 March 1990
CityDonnybrook, Australia
Your private life should be private. I reckon that's a good thing that you talk about your work and you talk about what you're doing, but without having to go into how your brother's been and how your mum's been because none of that's really relevant.
I come from a big family, so I'd like to have a big family.
I absolutely love being a mother. It's been a blessing. It's fun and it's hard, but it's absolutely amazing.
It feels kind of strange knowing that I rule the whole planet of Naboo and I'm only thirteen. At first, my face—because it was really white—was a bit of a shock. But when the whole costume was put together and the headdress was put on, I really felt proud, like a Queen.
Thanks to a lot of people, not just myself, Whale Rider had an amazing impact emotionally, and people remember it. I count myself very lucky that all those doors were unlocked, I just had to open them.
I thought 'I can't be an actor, I can't'. Then this film came up and it was like someone saying to me, 'You can, don't give up'.
I want to be a science teacher. My friends asked me why, but I'm intrigued by it and I'm quite good at science at school.
I've lived a fast-paced life, but I had the best childhood. I didn't miss out on anything by having my daughter at a young age.
I was able to grow up and do silly things and have a life with only a small amount of public scrutiny.
When I found out this was going to be the last 'Star Wars' film that was ever going to be made, I felt pretty privileged to be in it.
Thanks to a lot of people, not just myself, 'Whale Rider' had an amazing impact emotionally, and people remember it. I count myself very lucky that all those doors were unlocked, I just had to open them.