Anzac Hohepa Wallace,[1] also known as Zac Wallace, born Norman Pene Rewiri[2] (1943 – 8 April 2019),[3] was a New Zealand actor and former trade union delegate.[4] He is best known for his role as Te Wheke in the 1983 New Zealand film Utu.[5][6][7]
Wallace grew up in Mission Bay, Auckland. His iwi affiliation was Ngāpuhi.[8] As a youth, he was involved in petty crime, eventually escalating to armed robbery, for which he spent several years in prison until 1974. During his time in prison, he taught himself to read.[9][2] He then went to work in earthmoving, working as part of the Auckland Mangere Bridge project.[4]
Despite having minimal acting experience, Wallace was cast in the lead role of Te Wheke in Geoff Murphy's acclaimed 1983 film Utu.[2] In 1985 he appeared in The Silent One, The Quiet Earth and Dangerous Orphans.[4] Shortly afterwards, he departed for Australia, returning to New Zealand in 2013.[4] He appeared in Shortland Street as Rocky Hannah in 2016.[4]
Wallace died on 8 April 2019 from cancer.[10][11] He was survived by his wife, Deidre Nehua.[12]
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