Lawrence Makoare

Action / Actor / Commercial / Appearances
Age Range

50—59

Height

191cm

Eye Colour

Brown

Hair Colour

Salt & Pepper

Ethnicity

Māori

Based In

Auckland, New Zealand

Appearances

Personal Appearances

ImdbPro Profile

NZ On Screen Profile

Lawrence Makoare became known globally for his portrayal of several orcs in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, playing three different characters without his face being seen. Followed by his continuing role of Bolg in The Hobbit trilogy. International audiences also came to know him for his roles as Maecenus and the Barbarian Leader in Xena: Warrior Princess.

Lawrence has played a variety of villains and fearsome creatures, but The Warrior in The Dead Lands was perhaps his most complex role so far. It’s a physically demanding and emotionally resonant lead role with the added dimension of being played entirely in Te Reo Maori.

Immediately after The Dead Lands, Makoare starred as series regular ZaBing in the first season of Marco Polo, the drama series produced by The Weinstein Company for Netflix.

This was followed by the role of Ihaka in the UK mini-series Tatau, set in the Cook Islands; and an appearance in the TV movie Akamu.

Most recently Lawrence has featured in The Untold Tales of Tuteremoana, a dramatic anthology series for Maori Television.

Makoare was discovered by the late Don Selwyn, who ran drama classes for young Maori in the early1990s. He says he was a road maintenance worker who stumbled into acting by mistake. He went to a class to support his then wife, but Selwyn encouraged him to join in and very quickly arranged his first audition.

His first role was in the Hollywood feature film Rapa Nui, and his other features include The Price of Milk, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? Feathers of Peace. He starred with Temuera Morrison in Crooked Earth, played the Prince of Morocco in Selwyn’s The Maori Merchant of Venice and played Snake in The Ferryman, produced by The Dead Lands’ Matthew Metcalfe.


Of Ngati Whatua descent, Lawrence Makoare grew up in Orakei, Auckland.



Lawrence Makoare

Artist Resume

Television

Year
Role
Production

2022

Moe (Lead)

The Untold Tales of Tuteremoana - Episode 1 "Tairoa"

The Sweetshop & Green

Dir. Hiona Henare

2014

Za Bing

Marco Polo

Electus

Dir. Alik Sakharov

2012

Himself

Auckland Daze - Episode#1.3

Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions / Longline Productions

Dir. Kiel McNaughton

2006

Piki

Kai Korero

Front of the Box Productions

2002

Tom

Mataku - The Final Plume

South Pacific Pictures

2002

Warrior

Mataku - The Heirloom

South Pacific Pictures

1999

Rameka

Greenstone

Communicado Productions

Dir. Chris Bailey/Jim Goddard/John Laing

1998

Barbarian Leader

Xena Warrior Princess - The Quill is Mightier

Pacific Renaissance Pictures

Dir. Andrew Merrifield

1998

Maecenus

Xena Warrior Princess - Fins, Femmes and Gems

Pacific Renaissance Pictures

Dir. Josh Becker

1998

Roadie

Young Hercules - Fame

Pacific Renaissance Pictures

Dir. Chris Graves

1996

Actor

Oma Rapiti

He Taonga Films

Dir. Brendon Butt

1995

Tamihana

Mirror Mirror (Series 2)

Gibson Group

Dir. John Banas

1994

Actor

ITFM (1 hour Drama)

He Taonga Films

1994

Actor

High Tide

Franklin/Waterman Productions

Dir. Catherine Millar

Feature Film

Year
Role
Production

2023

Akatārewa

The Convert

Brouhaha Entertainment

Dir. Lee Tamahori

2020

Gerry the Alien

Occupation: Rainfall

Occupation Two Productions

Dir. Luke Sparke

2014

The Warrior (Lead)

The Dead Lands

General Film Corporation

Dir. Toa Fraser

2013

Bolg

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

WingNut Films

Dir. Peter Jackson

2012

J.T.

Fundamental

Ape On A Whale

Dir. Bill Hunt

2012

Ratu

Uncle Charles

Les Productions du Champ Poirier

Dir. Etienne Chatiliez

2007

Snake

The Ferryman

T.F. Productions

Dir. Chris Graham

2003

Witch-King / Gothmog

The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King

WingNut Films

Dir. Peter Jackson

2002

Prince of Morocco

The Maori Merchant of Venice

He Taonga Films

Dir. Don C. Selwyn

2002

Mr Kil

James Bond: Die Another Day

Eon Productions

Dir. Lee Tamahori

2001

Kahu Bastion (Lead)

Crooked Earth

Communicado Productions

Dir. Sam Pillsbury

2001

Lurtz (Uruk-Hai Leader)

The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

WingNut Films

Dir. Peter Jackson

2000

Nephew

The Price of Milk

John Swimmer Productions

Dir. Harry Sinclair

2000

Pemako

Feathers of Peace

He Taonga Films

Dir. Barry Barclay

1999

Grunt

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

Communicado

Dir. Ian Mune

Stage

Year
Role
Production

1990

Warrior

Waitangi Re-enactment (250 years Treaty Celebrations)

Opening Ceremony-Commonwealth Games

Dir. Don Selwyn / Peter Sharples (Choreographer)

Video

Year
Role
Production

2004

Himself

Ring *Con 2004 (Documentary)

Zoom Entertainment (Germany)

2003

Himself

Special Treats Productions Company

Dir. Charles de Lauzirka

2001

Lutz

Quest for the Ring (TV Movie Documentary Short)

20th Century Fox Television

Awards

Year
Role
Production

2014

Nominee Best Actor

The Dark Horse

Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards

Dir. Toa Fraser

2001

Nominee Best Supporting Actor

Crooked Earth

Nokia New Zealand Film Awards

Dir. Sam Pillsbury

Commercial

Year
Role
Production

Joe

DB Bitter

Dir. Geoff Murphy