49 Taika Waititi Quotes for You to Enjoy

Taika Waititi

New Zealander Director

Born: Aug 16, 1975

Always Films Just Me People You

Related authors: Alfred Hitchcock David Lynch George Lucas Martin Scorsese Steven Spielberg Tim Burton Woody Allen

Music - it's motivational and just makes you relax. Taika Waititi

Motivational Music You Relax Makes Just

As kids, we all thought Bob Marley was Maori. Taika Waititi

Thought Marley Kids Bob Bob Marley

We all have to remember that New Zealand is built on these kind of people who are rebels and renegades, people doing it their own way, fighting for freedom, and braving the elements. I think it's cool to celebrate that. Taika Waititi

Freedom Celebrate People Remember Own Fighting Think Way Kind New Built Doing New Zealand Who Cool Rebels Zealand Elements

My favourite kind of comedy comes from the awkwardness of living, the stuff that makes you cringe but borders on tragic - that is more interesting to me. It resonates; it comes from emotional truth. Taika Waititi

Truth Me You Comedy Living Resonates Cringe Kind Borders Favourite More Emotional Emotional Truth Stuff Makes Tragic Interesting Awkwardness

I like flawed characters, and I like seeing people who are supposed to be not villains but antagonists. There are elements to them, which are really annoying, but you kind of see where they came from. You see the things that caused those inadequacies. Taika Waititi

Maori get pigeonholed into the idea they're spiritual and telling stories like 'Whale Rider' and 'Once Were Warriors,' quite serious stuff, but we're pretty funny people, and we never really have had an opportunity to show that side of ourselves, the clumsy, nerdy side of ourselves, which is something I am. Taika Waititi

Funny Spiritual People Opportunity Funny People Side Once Ourselves Telling Nerdy Pretty Something Never Had Idea Stuff Like Pigeonholed Am Were Whale Get Quite Stories Which Clumsy Really Show Warriors Rider Serious

I've always found the script to be more of a skeleton, the template. Taika Waititi

More Always Script Skeleton Found

I love heroes that really go through ordeals, and they come out the other end completely changed. Taika Waititi

Love Heroes Changed Other Out Through Come Go End Really

I don't like laughing at people unless they're in a privileged position or if they're in authority. If it's poor people or people who live on the outskirts or on the margins, or the underdog, I'd rather be laughing with them. Taika Waititi

People Live Unless Laughing Rather Underdog Like Privileged Authority Them Poor Poor People Who Margins Position

With some actors, you can tell, just from their different backgrounds and their different approaches to working, they would have just a natural conflict, just a sort of friction. Taika Waititi

You Natural Conflict Approaches Backgrounds Tell Would Some Sort Friction Just Different Different Backgrounds Working Actor

You can have integrity with your art, but worrying about integrity doesn't pay the bills. Taika Waititi

Art You Integrity Pay Worrying About Your Bills

We've got a thing called the 'tall puppy syndrome' in New Zealand, where if anyone is doing really well, it's quite common to try and bring them down - like, cut them down and say, 'You've been to the moon? So what? I mean, plenty of people have been to the moon.' Taika Waititi

You People Try Moon Down Syndrome Say Plenty Puppy New Like Well Tall Got Doing Been Quite Common Where Anyone New Zealand Mean Them To The Moon Cut Really Zealand Thing Bring

I daydream all the time. Taika Waititi

Time Daydream

A set should be like a family, except that you all actually like each other. Taika Waititi

Family You Other Except Like Should Each Actually Set

You realise that there's nothing more endearing than people who are desperately trying to be liked or trying to be the hero, you know? Who also probably just need a hug or want to impress their dad? Taika Waititi

New Zealand was such a weird place in the 1980s. For instance, we used to have this commercial in the late 1970s where this guy drives this car and stops outside a corner store. He goes in to buy something, and when he comes out, his car is gone. He's like, 'Huh?' Then a voice says, 'Don't leave your keys in the car.' Taika Waititi

Buy Car Gone Corner Late Keys Says Out Something Guy Voice Outside Drives Instance He Weird New Like Leave His Commercial Goes Huh Stops Where Store New Zealand Place Then Your Used Zealand

The family unit is very interesting because these are people that you're supposed to be the closest to in your life, and yet that's where you find the greatest distances between people as well - especially between parents and kids. Taika Waititi

New Zealand was kind of getting a reputation for making middle-of-the-road films that weren't really that unique. They were kind of New Zealand versions of overseas films, and for sure, having an Oscar nomination totally helped me get funding. Taika Waititi

Me Reputation Films Kind Totally Having New Nomination Sure Making Were Overseas Versions Get Getting New Zealand Middle-Of-The-Road Really Helped Unique Zealand Funding Oscar

I wish I was less good-looking and more unpopular. Then I could get into politics and use my pent-up resentment about being ugly and unpopular to systematically destroy the country. Taika Waititi

Politics Ugly Wish Country Destroy Systematically Unpopular About More Could Good-Looking Get Being Then Use Less Resentment

I think I'm a better filmmaker than actor, so I already know that. That's OK. I can handle not being a famous actor. Taika Waititi

Better Think OK Know Handle Than Being Famous Actor Filmmaker

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