One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most enduring personalities has been recognised with a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours.
Sir Ian Mune, 82, has been a highly respected actor, director and screen writer for nearly 60 years.
His latest accolade, for services to film, television and theatre, will sit alongside an OBE he was awarded in 1991.
When asked how he felt about becoming a “Sir,” Ian Mune said it was a question he would need to be re-asked in six months time.
“It sounds very odd,” he said with a smile. “I’m waiting for my kids to call me Sir Dad.”
Sir Ian’s devotion to acting began in the theatre where he learned the art of stage craft, performance and delivery.
He said young actors today don’t tend to follow such a traditional path, or perform as much Shakespeare, which was the tradition in his day.
But the skills he learned in theatre opened pathways to roles on television and in movies.
He starred in the early black and white series, Pukemanu, in the 1970’s and went on to win a Feltex Award for the television drama Derek in 1975.
Sam Neill led the tributes for the highly respected actor, director and screen writer. (Source: 1News)
The knighthood has earned Sir Ian the highest praise from Kiwi actor Sam Neill.
“This is about the best news there’s been so far in 2023. I’m completely delighted that my old friend and colleague Ian Mune is now a knight,” Sam Neill told 1News.
“And the reason I’m delighted is not just because he is a good bloke, but also I can think of no one who has contributed more to New Zealand film and television and theatre single-handedly than Ian Mune, now Sir Ian Mune.”
Sir Ian appeared in a large number of New Zealand films – one of the most notable Sleeping Dogs in 1977, for which he also wrote the screenplay.
He and director Roger Donaldson cast Sam Neill in the lead role of Smith.
Neill said making Sleeping Dogs was a "huge leap of faith" as no feature films had been produced in New Zealand for nearly 20 years. He remains grateful for the casting in the lead role.
“For Roger and Ian to launch a feature film was an extraordinary idea,” Neill said. “More baffling still was they cast me as the lead in it (laugh) and for that I will be forever grateful because I wouldn’t have had a career in this business if they hadn’t got drunk one night and decided I was the guy for the job. But it was a big risk, no one knew whether anyone wanted to see a film from New Zealand.”
Sir Ian said the popularity of Sleeping Dogs signalled a change in local audiences who finally wanted to see "themselves on screen."
The incredibly popular Goodbye Pork Pie, which Sir Ian co-wrote, soon followed. It was the first NZ feature film to win large audiences in its home country.
“Everyone went along and said 'oh look, there’s my aunty’s house,'” Sir Ian recalled. “Suddenly we liked looking at ourselves which we hadn’t wanted to do in the 50s and 60s. But in the 70s, we did.”
Other directing successes followed – Came a Hot Friday, The End of the Golden Weather and What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?.
The latter was the sequel to Once Were Warriors and won nine of 13 NZ Film Nominations. It remains Sir Ian's biggest commercial success to date.
Sir Ian is no longer directing but is still interested in a quality acting role with his name on it.
He is deeply committed to painting canvasses, an activity he immersed himself in after the death of his wife Jo, after 53 years of marriage, in 2015.
The humble new knight plans to share his latest honour with his three adult children, grand children and a great grandchild.
Sir Ian Mune – a humble recipient who doesn’t want any fuss after spending so much of his life in the spotlight.
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