Prominent Māori actor Pete Smith, who starred in Once Were Warriors, The Piano and directed and presented a number of documentaries for Māori Television, has passed away aged 63.
Smith (Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri) had battled kidney disease for several years, his son Poumau Papali'i-Smith said it was a tough day, but his father was no longer in pain.
"For the last seven years, he'd been on dialysis which took its toll on him over the years. Within the last two years, he was also diagnosed with dementia, Papali'i-Smith told Stuff.
“We started doing dialysis at home but over the last few weeks he suffered an infection which he fought for the last four weeks.
“He passed on Saturday. We are happy that he didn't have to suffer any longer.”
Smith rose to prominence playing Uncle Dooley in the iconic 1994 film Once Were Warriors, but his accolades spanned several decades; he won a GOFTA in his debut to the silver screen in the Kiwi science fiction film 'The Quiet Earth' in 1985.
He played Hone in Jane Campion's critically-acclaimed The Piano in 1993 and in the 2000s diversified into television - directing and starring in several series on Māori Television, including lifestyle gardening series Maramataka which ran throughout the early and mid-2000s.
While filming documentaries for the small screen in his home of Te Tai Tokerau, Smith also found time to appear in Sir Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings series in 2003.
Smith's final silver screen appearance was starring as Heke in the 2010 Reston Griffith's family comedy Hugh & Heke.
Smith is survived by six children and wife Mona Papali’i.