Rachel House Biography: Age, Height, Net Worth, Movies, Career, Awards, Ethnicity

Rachel Jessica Te Ao Maarama House, is a New Zealand actress, acting coach, director, and voice artist whose expressive charisma and deep cultural roots have made her a beloved figure in both local and international productions.

She first garnered broad attention with her role in Whale Rider and has since expertly woven her way through Taika Waititi’s notable films, Disney’s Moana, Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok, and Pixar’s Soul, bringing warmth and depth to every role.

Profile

• Full name: Rachel Jessica Te Ao Maarama House
• Date of birth: 20 October 1971
• Age: 54 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: Auckland, New Zealand
• Nationality: New Zealander
• Profession: Actress, acting coach, director, voice artist
• Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
• Weight: 55 kg (121 lb)
• Eye color: Dark Brown/Black
• Hair color: Black
• Parents: John House (adoptive father), Sheila House (adoptive mother)
• Siblings: Sister – Lucy Rachel
• Spouse: Single
• Children: N/A
• Religion: Christian
• Ethnicity: Māori (Ngāti Mutunga, Te Ātiawa, Ngāi Tahu) and European descent
• Net worth: $2 million

Early Life and Education

Rachel Jessica Te Ao Maarama House, is now 54 years old. She was born on 20 October 1971 in Auckland and raised in Kamo, Whangārei, by her adoptive Scottish parents, John and Sheila House. Her heritage includes Māori iwi affiliations with Ngāti Mutunga, Te Ātiawa, and Ngāi Tahu.

House trained from a young age in ballet, classical singing, piano, and speech, though drama ultimately became her true calling. She graduated from New Zealand’s national drama school, Toi Whakaari, in 1992, then launched into stage work with Pacific Underground Theatre and the Auckland Theatre Company. She also pursued directing studies at the Prague Film School in 2008, where she created award-winning short films.

Personal Life

Rachel House tends to keep her private life out of the spotlight. No public record is available regarding her relationships, marital status, children. She is currently single and has never publicly confirmed any romantic partnerships.

Career

Rachel House’s career cut across stage, film, television, voice work, and directing. She earned early recognition with Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for performances in Nga Pou Wahine (1995), Woman Far Walking (2002), and An Enemy of the People (2003). She transitioned to screen in 1998 with the short Queenie and Pete, then featured in the acclaimed Whale Rider (2002) and as a regular on Maddigan’s Quest (2005).

Her longtime collaboration with director Taika Waititi includes roles in Eagle vs Shark (2008), Boy (2010), and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), where she also served as an acting coach for young actors. In voice acting, she is renowned as Gramma Tala in Moana (2016) and Terry in Soul (2020), and has voiced many popular television characters. Her film roles span Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Bellbird (2019), Penguin Bloom, Cousins, Next Goal Wins, and The Portable Door.

On television, she has starred in Heartbreak High (as Principal Woods) since 2022, appeared in Foundation 2, Bay of Fires, Our Flag Means Death (season 2), and is set to appear in Time Bandits and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

As a director, she made her feature film debut with The Mountain in 2024, and previously directed the Te Reo Māori version of Troilus and Cressida at the Globe Theatre in London, as well as commercials and short films.

Awards

Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards

• 1995: Most Promising Female Newcomer for Nga Pou Wahine
• 2002: Most Outstanding Performance for Woman Far Walking
• 2003: Best Supporting Actress for An Enemy of the People

Other Honours

• Arts Foundation Laureate Award – 2012
• Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit – 2017, for services to performing arts
• “Mana Wahine” honour from WIFT NZ and Te Waipuna a Rangi (Matariki Awards)
• Behind the Voice Actors Award – 2017, Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film for Moana
• Asia Pacific Screen Awards – 2024 Nominee for Best Youth Film for The Mountain
• International Film Festival for Children and Young Audience SCHLiNGEL – 2024 Winner of the Award of the CIFEJ Jury, The Mountain

Net Worth

Rachel House’s estimated net worth is about $2 million, based on her diversed and successful career in the entertainment industry.

Social Media

N/A

Filmography

• Queenie and Pete (short, 1998)
• Whale Rider (2002)
• Maddigan’s Quest (TV, 2005)
• Eagle vs Shark (2008)
• Boy (2010)
• Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
• Moana (voice, 2016)
• Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
• Bellbird (2019)
• Soul (voice, 2020)
• Penguin Bloom
• Cousins
• Next Goal Wins
• The Portable Door
• Heartbreak High (TV, 2022–present)
• Foundation 2 (TV)
• Bay of Fires (TV)
• Our Flag Means Death 2 (TV)
• Time Bandits (upcoming)
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (upcoming)