Waititi is from the Raukokore area of the East Coast region of the North Island of New Zealand and grew up there and in Wellington, and attended Onslow College for secondary school. His father is Māori of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, whilst his maternal grandfather is of Russian Jewish heritage and his maternal grandmother is of Irish heritage. Waititi has used his mother's surname, "Cohen", for some of his work in film and writing.
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