Famous Kiwis
New Zealanders often debate who is the most famous living Kiwi of all. The leading contenders include:
Steve Williams (golf caddy)
Born in Wellington, in December 1963, Williams has become world famous as the caddy for champion golfer Tiger Woods. A decent junior golfer himself (a two handicap at the age of 13), Williams discovered he most liked caddying for other golfers and became Woods' caddy in 1999. Williams was also New Zealand's Super Saloon car champion for 2005-06 and he donated $1 million to a cancer ward at Auckland's Starship Children's Hospital in 2008.
Peter Jackson (filmmaker)
Best-known for his Oscar-winning work with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Jackson has won three Academy Awards. Born in October 1961, Jackson started his career making slapstick horror comedies before his breakthrough with Heavenly Creatures, starring a young Kate Winslet, which earned him and partner Fran Walsh an Oscar nomination for his screenplay.
Flight of the Conchords (musical comedy)
The FotC is a Grammy Award-winning duo of Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement who bill themselves as 'formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo.' The pair's comedy and music led to a BBC radio series before shot to worldwide fame in the American MTV television series bearing their name.
Russell Crowe (actor)
Born in Wellington in April 1964, Russell Crowe started his acting career with parts in Australian television before moving to Hollywood where he co-starred in the acclaimed L.A.Confidential. He has been nominated three times for Oscars and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his starring role in the film Gladiator. He mainly lives in Sydney where he is the co-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league club.
Neil Finn (musician)
Born in Te Awamutu in 1958, Finn became the front man in the leading New Zealand band Splitz Enz alongside his songwriting brother Tim. When Split Enz broke up, Neil Finn formed Crowded House and the band have had many international hits and best-selling albums. As well as appearing with Tim under the Finn Brothers banner, Finn has also been a prolific solo performer.
Rachel Hunter (model)
Born in Glenfield, Auckland, in September 1969, Hunter rose to prominence in New Zealand as a teenage model. This led to her posing as a Sports Illustrated model in 1989 and a career as a photographic model which included a nude spread for Playboy in 2004. She married and divorced rock star Rod Stewart and her high profile romances have included rock musician Kip Winger, singer Robbie Williams and ice hockey player Jarret Stoll.
Michael Campbell (golfer)
Born at Hawera in February 1969, Campbell is the highest-profile individual sportsman of the past decade, having won the 2005 U.S Golf Open and the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship. He has homes in England, Australia and New Zealand.
Paul Holmes (broadcaster)
Though not known internationally, broadcaster Paul Holmes has been one of New Zealand's best known local celebrities since the 1980s. Born in 1950, Holmes began his radio career in Christchurch in the 1970s before working in Australia, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands before returning to New Zealand to pioneer the newstalk style of radio. With a top-rating breakfast radio show, he also anchored a nightly current affairs programme on television for many years.