Keisha Castle-Hughes (born 24 March 1990) is an Australian-born New Zealand film actress who rose to prominence at the age of eleven when playing Paikea "Pai" Apirana in the 2002 film Whale Rider. For her performance in the film, Castle-Hughes was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, the youngest-ever nominee in the category at the time, and won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress. Castle-Hughes has appeared in films such as Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger (2008), the New Zealand tele-movie Piece Of My Heart (2009), and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). She played Mary in The Nativity Story in (2006), and appeared in Red Dog (2011) and Thank You for Your Service (2017), among several other films. She is well known for television roles as Obara Sand in HBO's Game of Thrones and Special Agent Hana Gibson in FBI: Most Wanted. She also had recurring roles in Roadies (2016), Manhunt (2017), and On The Ropes (2018).

Filmography

• 2026In the Palm of Her Hand — Executive Producer
• 2025Housewife — Executive Producer
• 2025Wellwood — Deputy Gracie Marsh, Producer
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch — Emerie Karr (voice)
• FBI: Most Wanted — Hana Gibson
• 2020Toxic — Irene, Co-Producer
• 2019Tone-Deaf — Wyatt
• FBI — Hana Gibson
• On The Ropes — Jess O'Connor
• Manhunt — Tabby
• 2017Thank You for Your Service — Alea
• Roadies — Donna Mancini
• 2015Queen of Carthage — Simi
• 2013Rewind — Priya
• Game of Thrones — Obara Sand
• 2011Red Dog — Rosa
• 2011Vampire — Jellyfish
• The Walking Dead — Joan
• 2009Piece of My Heart — Young Kat
• 2009The Vintner's Luck — Celeste
• 2008Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger — Sunni
• Legend of the Seeker — The Creator / Maia
• 2006The Nativity Story — Mary
• 2005Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith — Queen of Naboo
• 2003Whale Rider — Paikea Apirana
• Mother Knows Best

Appearances as themselves (2)

• 2015Game of Thrones: A Day in the Life — Self
• The Oscars — Self