The lead actor of *Once Were Warriors* (1994) is **Temuera Morrison**, who delivered a legendary performance as the volatile **Jake "The Muss" Heke**.
Given that you think you have seen him before, it is likely due to his major roles in two of the biggest film franchises in history—*Star Wars* and the *DC Extended Universe*—as well as his voice work for Disney.
Here is a detailed list of his most notable films and roles:
### 1. The Star Wars Franchise
This is where most modern audiences recognize him. Since the early 2000s, Morrison has become the "face" and "voice" of the entire Clone army.
* **Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002):** He played **Jango Fett**, the bounty hunter and genetic template for the Clone Army.
* **Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005):** He played **Commander Cody** and provided the voices for all the various Clone Troopers.
* **The Empire Strikes Back (DVD/Blu-ray re-releases):** His voice was dubbed over the original actor for **Boba Fett** to maintain continuity with the prequel films.
* **The Mandalorian & The Book of Boba Fett (TV/Streaming):** While these are series, they are his most prominent recent work, where he physically portrays the older, battle-scarred **Boba Fett**.
### 2. The DC Extended Universe (DCEU)
Morrison has a recurring presence in the DC superhero films as the father of Aquaman.
* **Aquaman (2018) & Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023):** He plays **Tom Curry**, a lighthouse keeper and the human father of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa).
* **The Flash (2023):** He makes a cameo appearance reprising his role as Tom Curry.
* **Green Lantern (2011):** He played the purple-skinned alien **Abin Sur**, the dying Green Lantern who passes his ring to Ryan Reynolds' character.
### 3. Disney Animated Films
* **Moana (2016) & Moana 2 (2024):** He provides the voice (and singing voice in the sequel) for **Chief Tui**, Moana’s overprotective father.
### 4. Major Hollywood Supporting Roles
In the years following *Once Were Warriors*, Morrison was a frequent "tough guy" or character actor in American blockbusters:
* **Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997):** He played **Juliano**, the first officer on the hijacked ship.
* **Six Days, Seven Nights (1998):** He played **Jager**, a modern-day pirate who hunts Harrison Ford and Anne Heche.
* **Vertical Limit (2000):** He played **Major Rasul**, a Pakistani guide involved in the high-stakes K2 rescue mission.
* **Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019):** He played **Powell**, a mercenary searching for the hidden city.
* **Couples Retreat (2009):** In a rare comedic turn, he played **Briggs**, the intense "spiritual" resort instructor.
* **Barb Wire (1996):** He played **Axel**, the former lover of Pamela Anderson’s title character.
* **The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996):** He played **Azazello**, one of the "Beast-Men."
### 5. New Zealand & Independent Films
* **What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1999):** The direct sequel to *Once Were Warriors*, focusing on Jake’s attempt to change his violent ways.
* **River Queen (2005):** A historical drama where he plays a Māori leader, **Te Kai Po**.
* **Tracker (2010):** He stars as **Kereama**, a Māori man being hunted through the New Zealand wilderness by a Boer War veteran (Ray Winstone).
* **Mt. Zion (2013):** He plays the father of a young man (played by Stan Walker) who dreams of his band opening for Bob Marley.
**Other Notable Appearances:**
* **From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000):** He played the titular **Hangman**.
* **The Beautiful Country (2004):** He appeared as **Snakehead**, alongside Nick Nolte and Tim Roth.
* **Occupation / Occupation: Rainfall (2018/2020):** He plays **Peter Bartlett** in these Australian sci-fi alien invasion films.
(Note: This summary was generated by Gemini 3.0 Flash + Search)