Meet Rena Owen at ValleyCon 2026 in Fargo, October 23 to 25 at the Fargo Air Museum. Rena is traveling from New Zealand for a rare U.S. appearance, so this is one weekend you won’t want to miss.
ValleyCon is excited to welcome internationally acclaimed actress Rena Owen, whose remarkable career spans film, television, theater and voice acting.
Rena hails from New Zealand’s Bay of Islands and is best known for her award-winning portrayal of Beth Heke in the powerful 1994 film Once Were Warriors. Her unforgettable performance brought her international recognition and earned multiple Best Actress awards at film festivals around the world.
In 2026, a whole new generation met Rena as Gramma Tala, Moana’s grandmother, in Disney’s live-action Moana, which hit theaters July 10.
Star Wars fans will recognize Rena as the voice of Taun We, the Kaminoan who introduces Obi-Wan Kenobi to the Republic’s clone army in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. She reprised the role in the animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch and also played Nee Alavar in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
Science fiction fans may also know Rena as Heveena in Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville, while supernatural TV audiences will recognize her as Helen Hawkins in Freeform’s Siren. Her credits also include The Last Witch Hunter, Longmire, The Dead Lands, The Gloaming and Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence.
Beyond the screen, Rena is an accomplished theater artist, writer and producer who continues to give back to the industry through storytelling, mentorship and creative collaboration.
Rena Owen at ValleyCon 2026: Star Wars & Moana
Find Rena on Celebrity Row at booth TS-01, and catch her panel on Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 PM on the Stage. Check the full ValleyCon schedule to plan your weekend, and get your tickets before you go.
Rena Owen’s notable roles
- Beth Heke, Once Were Warriors (1994)
- Gramma Tala, Disney’s Moana (2026)
- Taun We, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: The Bad Batch
- Nee Alavar, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
- Heveena, The Orville
- Helen Hawkins, Siren
Join us at ValleyCon and meet Rena Owen, a talented performer whose work has left a lasting impression across galaxies, genres and generations!
More from Rena Owen: Official website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn