Lee Tamahori started in the industry as a boom operator in the sound department on film productions, including "Goodbye Pork Pie," "Bad Blood" and "Carry Me Back." He went on to serve as an assistant director on films like "Utu," "The Silent One" and "The Quiet Earth."

Tamahori later became a director who worked on episodes of The Ray Bradbury Theater, The Sopranos and Billions and famously directed films including "Once Were Warriors," "The Edge," "xXx: States of the Union" and "Next."