Nine To Noon Temuera Morrison on his new travelogue show Earth Oven
Nov 9, 2025
Temuera Morrison, a veteran New Zealand actor known for his roles in Once Were Warriors and the Star Wars franchise, discusses his new travelogue series, Earth Oven. He shares the origin of the show, sparked by a hangi demonstration, and the importance of cultural connections through food. Temuera reflects on the vulnerability of presenting himself, highlights the shared traditions of earth-oven cooking across cultures, and discusses his collaboration with director Mike Jonathan. He also touches on preserving language and culture in the series and how this experience may influence his future roles.
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How The Series Began
- Temuera Morrison describes how the Earth Oven series started from a producer idea and a filmed hangi demo for Jason Momoa.
- That demo footage helped secure the show's concept and led to him flying around the world to film episodes.
Desert Hangi And Family Memory
- Temuera recounts digging a zarb-style earth oven in Jordan's Wadi Rum and bonding with the local cooks while learning their methods.
- Seeing a 40-gallon drum pit there reminded him of his uncle's weekly hangi back home in Rotorua.
Universal Bonds Around Food
- Morrison observes that earth-oven traditions reveal a shared human desire to gather, eat, and sing across cultures.
- The rituals around communal cooking highlight family, conversation, and cultural continuity worldwide.
