When Te Ao o Hinepehinga first learned she’d be joining Chief of War, her reaction wasn’t just excitement—it was emotional. The historical drama about Hawaii created by Jason Momoa and Thomas Paʻa Sibbett for Apple TV premiered on August 1st and has three episodes streaming today.
“I kind of get all bubbly and teary-eyed,” Te told The Newsette, describing what it meant to be part of a project that centers around Indigenous voices on a global stage. Born in Gisborne, New Zealand, and raised in a politically active Māori family, Te has spent her life immersed in storytelling.
In Chief of War, she has found a role that brings all parts of her identity together. As she steps into character, she said that she carries not just lines, but generations of oral tradition, community wisdom, and the fierce power of representation.
“It's one of those things where, at least for me, as an Indigenous storyteller, I can't believe we're here right now,” said Te. “I can't believe we're getting to see our Indigenous stories on such a global platform, and have so many Indigenous advisors at the forefront of the creation process as well, which is such a huge win. I can't believe I'm a part of this.”
She went on to say how “heartwarming” it has been to experience the passion and effort behind wanting to celebrate these stories and history. “The little girl in me is very, very happy,” she said.
For anyone who has not started streaming Chief of War, Te advised being ready for a lot to happen and shared her excitement for the audience to see a lot of different elements of Hawaiian culture.
“You get to see the war tactics, the political structures, the social structures, and how that actually impacts the community, which I think is exciting,” said Te. “And it's not just an epic battle, [or] just a political drama. It's this beautiful [middle] where you get to dance between the two.”
She noted that early in the series, the audience will see how Hawaii introduced the English language, and while it is not entirely historically accurate, it leans into the people who helped with the introduction. So, anyone scared off by subtitles in the first few episodes shouldn’t be discouraged.
On set, Te laughingly shared that the energy was exciting and “almost chaotic at times.”
“I don't know if you've ever been in a room with a whole bunch of Polynesians, but we just bounce off each other’s energies,” said Te. “There's probably more bloopers than there is actual usable footage, because there's just so much play.”
When she’s not filming, Te’s interests include an impressive roster of what she calls “introverted hobbies,” including yoga, weightlifting, running, swimming, cooking, baking, gardening, and reading. There’s something she said she loves about “being in [her] own space” to recharge.
“Sometimes, if I feel like I've kind of lost myself in a character, and I'm getting a little too caught up in my character's emotions, I'll go salsa dancing, and I'll dance until my feet hurt, and I feel amazing,” said Te. “It's kind of how I come back to myself.”
Te said that when it comes to reading, she loves fantasy books, naming The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss as one she has read at least four times in the last couple of years. Notably, she’s dying for the next book in the series to come out.
As she thinks about the roles she’d like to play next, Te said, “It’s so hard,” sharing that she “never really expected to get to this point” to be in a position of luxury to ask what’s next. One thing she does know is that she’d love to be in something like Dead Poets Society, where she can get into a role with writing “just so eloquent that it's going to be quoted like it's a real poet.” If there is a writer out there who has something like that, Te is ready to see it.
