Keisha Castle-Hughes (born 24 March 1990) is a New Zealand actress. She made her acting debut in the drama film Whale Rider (2002), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the second-youngest nominee in this category. Her subsequent films include the biblical drama film The Nativity Story (2006) and the teen film Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger (2008). On television, she had appeared as Obara Sand in Game of Thrones (2015–2017), and starred as Special Agent Hana Gibson in all six seasons of FBI: Most Wanted (2020–2025).
Early life Castle-Hughes was born in 1990 in Donnybrook, Western Australia, to a Māori mother, Desrae Hughes, of Ngāti Porou, Tainui, and Ngāpuhi descent, and Tim Castle, an Anglo-Australian father. Her family moved to Auckland, New Zealand, when she was four years old. She attained citizenship in 2001. Castle-Hughes attended Penrose High School and graduated from Senior College of New Zealand in Auckland.
Career In 2002, Castle-Hughes made her debut in the film Whale Rider, in which she played the main role of Paikea Apirana (Pai). She had no previous acting experience and went directly from her Auckland school classroom to the film set when the shoot began in New Zealand in late 2001. Castle-Hughes received widespread critical acclaim for her performance, and in 2004 she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress at the 76th Academy Awards. Although she did not win the Best Actress award (it went to Charlize Theron for Monster), at age 13 she became the youngest person nominated in this category at the time and the third Indigenous actress, after Merle Oberon and Jocelyne LaGarde, to be nominated for an Oscar.
She soon followed the role by appearing in Prince's controversial "Cinnamon Girl" music video and with a shoot in Vanity Fair magazine. In 2004, Castle-Hughes was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In 2005, Castle-Hughes had a small part as Queen Apailana in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. In 2006, she portrayed the starring role of the Virgin Mary in The Nativity Story. New York Times critic, A. O. Scott, said that she "seemed entirely unfazed by the demands of playing Mary. She had the poise and intelligence to play the character not as an icon of maternity, but rather as a headstrong, thoughtful adolescent transformed by an unimaginable responsibility."The Virgin Mary as a Teenager With Worries The New York Times. 1 December 2006. The Christian-themed film earned only $8 million during its opening week, but its box office surged during the week of Christmas.
In 2008, Castle-Hughes appeared in the Australian comedy-drama film Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger, which was filmed in late 2006.
Castle-Hughes reunited with New Zealand director Niki Caro for the film adaption of The Vintner's Luck, which had its international premiere in September 2009.
Castle-Hughes starred in the Japanese horror film Vampire, and she also played a recurring role as Axl's flatmate in The Almighty Johnsons which premiered in 2011. In 2011 Castle-Hughes also played a minor part in the film Red Dog as Rosa the veterinary assistant and wife of Vanno.
In 2014, Castle-Hughes had a guest role in the American television series The Walking Dead in which she played Joan.
In 2015, she joined the cast of the HBO TV series Game of Thrones in Season 5 as Obara Sand. She pursued a role on the show in part because she is a fan of the books. Castle-Hughes found out that she had won the role the night the Season 4 episode "The Mountain and the Viper" aired, in which her on-screen father's death was shown. She described having a very intense emotional reaction to the scene, because of the connection between the characters on the show.
Beginning in 2020, Castle-Hughes has played Hana Gibson, an FBI analyst, on CBS's FBI: Most Wanted.
In a return to the Star Wars franchise, Castle-Hughes voiced Dr. Emerie Karr, an Imperial scientist at the Mount Tantiss facility and female clone of Jango Fett, in Seasons 2 and 3 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
Activism Castle-Hughes campaigned for Greenpeace as part of the SignOn.org.nz climate campaign in 2009. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key initially admonished her to "stick to acting", but offered a week later to discuss the issues with her over tea after she maintained she knew more about them than he gave her credit for.
Personal life In October 2006, when she was 16, it was announced that Castle-Hughes and boyfriend Bradley Hull were expecting a child together. Their daughter was born in 2007. Castle-Hughes and Hull broke up in 2010 after seven years together.
In 2012, Castle-Hughes began dating Jonathan Morrison. After six weeks together, the couple became engaged in August 2012. Their wedding took place on Valentine's Day 2013. They were divorced in December 2016.
In early 2014, Castle-Hughes revealed that she has bipolar disorder, in the wake of television personality Charlotte Dawson's suicide.
In early 2021, she married Donny Grahamer in New York City. A month later she announced that she was pregnant with her second child, a daughter born in June.
Filmography +Film and television Year Title Role Notes2002Whale RiderPaikeaNominated for Academy Award for Best Actress2004–2009bro'TownHerself3 episodes2005Star Wars: Revenge of the SithQueen Apailana of Naboo2006Mary2008Hey Hey It's Esther BlueburgerSunni2009CelestePiece of My HeartYoung KatTV movie2010Legend of the SeekerMaia / The CreatorEpisode: "Creator"2011Mika's Aroha Mardi GrasSelfTV specialVampireJellyfishRed DogRose2011–2013GaiaSeries Regular - seasons 1-2, Recurring - season 32012RewindPriyaTV movie, post-production2013Aroha2014Joan Episode: "Slabtown"Queen of CarthageSimiFilm2015–2017Obara Sand8 episodes2016Roadies Donna ManciniSeries regular2017Thank You for Your Service AleaFind Your Voice PrincessManhunt: Unabomber Tabby Milgrim2018On the Ropes Jessica ConnorTV miniseriesWellwoodDeputy Gracie MarshFilm; also producer 2019Tone-DeafWyatt2019–2020, 2023FBISpecial Agent Hana Gibson3 episodes2020–2025FBI: Most WantedMain role2023–2024Star Wars: The Bad Batch Emerie Karr (voice)11 episodes2025My Life is Murder Baily Browne1 episode
Accolades Year Award Category Work Result New Zealand Film Awards Best ActressWhale Rider Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Best Actress Academy Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Chicago Film Critics Association Best Actress Most Promising Performer Chlotrudis Awards Best Actress Critics Choice Movie Awards Best Young Actor/Actress Gold Derby Film Awards Best Lead Actress Breakthrough Performance NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Online Film Critics Society Breakthrough Performer Phoenix Film Critics Society Best Performance by a Youth - Female Actor Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Young Artist Awards Best Leading Young Actress - Feature FilmThe Nativity Story Qantas TV and Film Awards Best Supporting ActressPiece of My Heart
See also List of New Zealand Academy Award winners and nominees List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees — Youngest nominees for Best Lead Actress List of actors with Academy Award nominations
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