Pete Smith, Who Starred In The Lord Of The Rings Films, Is Dead

Actor, Pete Smith, has been confirmed dead.

On Saturday, January 29, at the age of 63, the M?ori actor who starred in Lord of the Rings, Once Were Warriors, and The Piano passed away.

 

According to local media, the New Zealand film star died after a long struggle with kidney disease and dementia. Smith’s son, Poumau Papali’i-Smith, told Stuff that his father has been “ill for a long time” and that his family is “relieved he didn’t have to suffer any longer.”

Poumau said;

“So it’s kind of bittersweet.

“For the last seven years, he’d been on dialysis which took its toll on him over the years. Within the last two years he was also diagnosed with dementia.

“We started doing dialysis at home but over the last few weeks he suffered an infection which he fought for the last four weeks.”

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Smith made his screen debut the 1985 science fiction film The Quiet Earth before going on to win best supporting actor in New Zealand drama feature film Flight of the Albatross in 1987.

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, The Boys, and Flight of the Albatross are among his other film credits. Plainclothes, Shortland Street, Greenstone, and Mataku are among the TV shows in which he has appeared.

Smith won Best Supporting Actor at the Air New Zealand Screen Awards in 2006 for his role in the drama series The Market.

 

Pete is survived by his wife Mona Papali’i and six children.