Rachel Jessica Te Ao Maarama House ONZM (born 20 October 1971) is a New Zealand actress and director. She has received numerous accolades including an Arts Laureate, NZ Order of Merit, 'Mana Wahine' from WIFT NZ and Te Waipuna a Rangi (Matariki Awards) for her contributions as an actor and director.
She is best known for her roles in the films Whale Rider (2002), Boy (2010), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Penguin Bloom (2020), Cousins, Millie Lies Low and The Moon is Upside Down (all 2021), Next Goal Wins and The Portable Door (both 2023).
In television, House became a series regular in the Netflix reboot series Heartbreak High as Principal Stacy "Woodsy" Woods in 2022. The same year, House also appeared in the Apple TV+ series Foundation 2 and ABC series Bay of Fires. In 2023, House portrayed the pirate Mary Read in season 2 of the HBO Max comedy Our Flag Means Death.
House is also a distinctive voice actor, known for her roles as 'Gramma Tala' in Disney's Moana (2016) and 'Terry' in Pixar's Soul (2020). In 2023 she voiced 'Grandma Coco' in the Māori language version of Pixar's Coco (2017). She has starred in numerous animated series for television, including Sherwood, The Lion Guard, Amphibia, Pinecone and Pony, What If…?, KIFF and Koala Man.
As an acting coach, House has worked alongside Jane Campion for Top of the Lake and The Power of the Dog (2021); and with Taika Waititi on Boy (2010), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Jojo Rabbit (2019) and Next Goal Wins (2023).
In 2008 House received praise for her directing on two short films at Prague Film School, receiving the award for Best Director and the Best Film Audience Award. Her directorial debut feature, The Mountain, will premiere in Taranaki, Aotearoa New Zealand in 2024.
