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| Rachel House | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rachel House |
| Birth date | 1971 |
| Birth place | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Actress, director |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
Rachel House
Rachel House is a New Zealand actress, director, and voice artist known for her work in film, television, and theatre. She has appeared in internationally recognized films and collaborated with prominent directors and companies from New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. House's stage work includes directing and acting for major theatre companies and festivals across Oceania.
Born in Auckland, House grew up in a family connected to Ngāti Kahungunu and attended local schools linked to Auckland communities. She trained in performing arts through programmes associated with Toi Whakaari and regional theatre initiatives such as Pacific Arts Festival and community companies in Waiheke Island. Early influences included New Zealand theatre figures like Nīkau Wi Neera and touring ensembles from Belvoir St Theatre and Auckland Theatre Company, shaping her practice in acting and directing.
House's career spans collaborations with filmmakers including Taika Waititi, Jane Campion, Park Chan-wook-adjacent festivals, and producers working with New Zealand Film Commission and Screen Australia. She has worked on projects screened at festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and Berlin International Film Festival. House's directing work has involved theatre companies like Silo Theatre, Bats Theatre, and the Court Theatre, while her acting has linked her to television series produced by TVNZ, BBC, and HBO affiliates.
House performed supporting and character roles in films including collaborations with Taika Waititi on titles that premiered at Telluride Film Festival and distributed through companies like 20th Century Studios and A24. She voiced characters in animated features affiliated with Walt Disney Animation Studios and appeared in international co-productions with casts involving Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, and Sam Neill. On television, House guest-starred in series broadcast on TVNZ 1, streamed via Netflix, and showcased on BBC Two, appearing alongside performers from Outrageous Fortune and Shortland Street alumni.
As a theatre director and actor, House has staged productions at venues such as Auckland Arts Festival, New Zealand Festival of the Arts, and the Malthouse Theatre, working with playwrights like Katherine Rundell and Māori writers associated with Toi Māori Aotearoa. She has directed ensembles composed of actors trained at Victoria University of Wellington and University of Auckland drama schools, and collaborated with designers from Weta Workshop and choreographers linked to Black Grace. Her stage credits include productions featured at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and regional tours supported by Creative New Zealand.
House's performances and directing have been acknowledged by awards from institutions such as the New Zealand Film Awards, New Zealand Television Awards, and jury prizes at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Festival juries at Sundance Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival have recognized projects featuring her work, and arts organisations including Arts Foundation of New Zealand and Creative New Zealand have granted fellowships and project funding. Industry bodies like Actors' Equity and regional critics' circles in Aotearoa have cited her contributions to contemporary Pacific theatre and screen practice.
House resides in the Auckland region and maintains connections to iwi including Ngāti Kahungunu and community arts networks across Te Whanganui-a-Tara and the wider Pacific Islands. She mentors emerging actors through programmes linked to Toi Whakaari and arts trusts such as Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust, and participates in cultural initiatives involving Māori Television and local festivals.
Category:1971 births Category:New Zealand actresses Category:New Zealand theatre directors Category:People from Auckland