Kisha Castle-Hughes New Zealand actress, Australian descent Date of Birth: 24.03.1990 Country: USA

1. Biography of Keisha Castle-Hughes
2. Early Acting Career
3. Oscar Nomination and Further Success
4. Challenges and Later Career

Biography of Keisha Castle-Hughes

Keisha Castle-Hughes is a New Zealand actress of Australian descent. She was born on March 24, 1990 in Donnybrook, Western Australia. When Keisha was one and a half years old, her family moved to New Zealand. In 2001, she officially became a New Zealand citizen. She has three younger brothers named Rhys, Liam, and Medicine, as well as a younger sister, Quaid. Keisha currently resides in Papakura, Auckland.

Keisha attended Waiuku Primary School and later Penrose High School. She continued her education at Rosehill College in Auckland. On April 25, 2007, at the age of 17, Keisha gave birth to her daughter, whom she named Felicity-Amour. The child's father is Keisha's friend Bradley Hull, who was 21 years old at the time of their daughter's birth.

Early Acting Career

Keisha made her screen debut in 2002, playing the lead role of Paikea "Pai" Apirana in the family drama film "Whale Rider." At the time of filming, Keisha had no prior acting experience and was discovered through her school in Auckland at the end of 2001. The film was released worldwide and received positive reviews, turning Keisha into an international celebrity.

Oscar Nomination and Further Success

In 2004, Keisha was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "Whale Rider," becoming the youngest nominee in the history of the Academy. She also became the first New Zealand resident to receive an Oscar nomination.

In the same year, Keisha appeared in a controversial music video for Prince's song "Cinnamon Girl" and was featured in Vanity Fair magazine. Her next film role was as Queen Apailana in George Lucas' science fiction prequel "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," released in 2005. During the filming, Keisha had the opportunity to work with renowned actors such as Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, and Ian McDiarmid.

Challenges and Later Career

In 2006, Keisha portrayed the Virgin Mary in Catherine Hardwicke's family drama "The Nativity Story." Although Catherine was pleased with Keisha's performance, the film did not perform well at the box office. One critic later suggested that the negative reception may have been due to the fact that Keisha was 17 and pregnant during the filming, but not married, which caused controversy among the general public.

The following year, Keisha played the role of Sunni in the Australian comedy film "Hey Hey, It's Esther Blueburger," a lighthearted story about how the eccentric Sunni helps the introverted Esther gain confidence. In 2009, Keisha worked with New Zealand director Niki Caro again on the fantasy film "The Vintner's Luck," where she played the lead role of Celeste.

Apart from her acting career, Keisha dedicates her free time to participating in the activities of the global organization Greenpeace.