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John Callen

  • Actor
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
John Callen at an event for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Trailer 2 for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Play trailer2:26
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
9 Videos
24 Photos
John has worked for 40 years as a professional actor, director and writer in theatre, radio, film and television. He has performed in or directed more than 100 stage productions and more than two dozen television series, and narrated close to 150 documentaries.

John has also appeared in a number of films including Pictures, The Sinking Of The Rainbow Warrior, Treasure Island Kids, Fly, The Man Who Lost His Head and Love Birds.

John was awarded Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor by Wellington theatre critics, and Best Actor in a Short Film. He was also named Critics' Choice for his portrayal of Macbeth. His experience as actor or director has covered everything from the absurd to the classical, including roles as Shylock and Polonius. And now he is relishing his experience playing the dwarf Oin in the core cast of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.

John's voiceover work includes narrating almost 150 documentaries for National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet and other local and international producers and broadcasters.

Major directing credits include Shortland Street, Comedy Central, Epitaph, Jackson's Wharf, The Tribe, Taonga and The Kiwi Who Saved Britain. He has also directed more than 50 television commercials and corporate A/Vs.

John has also worked as a lecturer at the NZ Drama School - Toi Whakaari, Unitec's School of Performing and Screen Arts and the University of Auckland.

In between all these engagements he is also in demand for commercial and corporate voice work and reads Talking Books for the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
  • More at IMDbPro
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    • Agent info
    • Resume
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 3 nominations total

    Photos24

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    Known for

    Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
    7.8
    • Oin
    • 2012
    Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, and Luke Evans in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    7.8
    • Oin
    • 2013
    Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
    The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
    7.4
    • Oin
    • 2014
    June (2021)
    June
    7.3
    Short
    • Doctor Samuels
    • 2021

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Insula
      • Steve
      • In Production



    • The Adventures of Sleepy the Magical Bear: The Movie (2023)
      The Adventures of Sleepy the Magical Bear: The Movie
      5.0
      • Fireto the Rhino (voice)
      • 2023
    • Rurangi (2020)
      Rurangi
      7.0
      TV Series
      • Father Martin
      • 2023
    • Eve Palmer and Grace Palmer in Good Grief (2021)
      Good Grief
      6.7
      TV Series
      • Ed
      • 2022
    • Brooke Williams and Matthew Walker in Love Knots (2021)
      Love Knots
      6.1
      TV Movie
      • Ted
      • 2021
    • June (2021)
      June
      7.3
      Short
      • Doctor Samuels
      • 2021
    • Marton Csokas, Ewen Leslie, Eva Green, Eve Hewson, and Himesh Patel in The Luminaries (2020)
      The Luminaries
      6.4
      TV Mini Series
      • Customs Officer
      • 2020
    • The Brokenwood Mysteries (2014)
      The Brokenwood Mysteries
      7.9
      TV Series
      • K.L Carnaby
      • 2019
    • Straight Forward (2019)
      Straight Forward
      5.7
      TV Series
      • Bruno
      • 2019
    • Andrew Craik, Phoebe McKellar, Savannah Harris, and Jake Pitcher in Touch Wood (2018)
      Touch Wood
      6.2
      TV Series
      • Grandpa Charlie
      • 2019
    • Twenty One Points (2018)
      Twenty One Points
      5.8
      Short
      • Homeless Bob
      • 2018
    • Kate Harcourt and Desmond Kelly in The Pact (2018)
      The Pact
      Short
      • Extra #1
      • 2018
    • Moe's Christmas (2017)
      Moe's Christmas
      TV Movie
      • Santa
      • 2017
    • Syrenia (2015)
      Syrenia
      7.1
      • Poppa Joseph
      • 2015
    • Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
      The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
      7.4
      • Oin
      • 2014
    • Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, and Luke Evans in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
      The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
      7.8
      • Oin
      • 2013

    Director



    • Stephen Papps in The Kiwi Who Saved Britian (2010)
      The Kiwi Who Saved Britian
      • Director
      • 2010
    • Shortland Street (1992)
      Shortland Street
      4.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 1994–2004
    • Jackson's Wharf (1999)
      Jackson's Wharf
      6.8
      TV Series
      • Director (six episodes)
      • 2000
    • Meryl Cassie, Caleb Ross, Victoria Spence, and Michael Wesley-Smith in The Tribe (1999)
      The Tribe
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2000

    Producer



    • Anya Banerjee in Balloons (2016)
      Balloons
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2016

    Videos9

    John Callen demo reel
    Demo Reel 2:00
    John Callen demo reel
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    Clip 1:05
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    Clip 1:05
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    Clip 1:05
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    Clip 0:52
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    Clip 1:11
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
    Clip 1:08
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    Personal details

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    • Height
      • 5′ 11¼″ (1.81 m)

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