The many faces of Cliff Curtis

Tribune feature on Cliff Curtis tracks his career trajectory from Once Were Warriors to Whale Rider. While the two movies appear vastly different in subject and style, Curtis is quick to point out a crucial shared message: “[Both films celebrate] the strength of our women, specifically Maori women, to hold our families together, our communities together, often in cases where our men are failing.” Curtis has also made a name for himself in Hollywood as an ethnic chameleon, playing everything from an Iraqi resistance leader in Three Kings to a tattooed Chicano  in Training Day. His next role is in The Runaway Jury – a John Grisham adaptation starring John Cusack, Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. Curtis plays a Cuban-American ex-marine.

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