Hundreds of mourners farewelled Anzac Wallace today at Ngā Whare Waatea marae in Mangere.
Among the mourners were members of the Māori entertainment world, including Dead Lands actor Lawrence Makoare, Poi E director Te Arepa Kahi and Hepi Mita, son of the late Merata Mita.
Mita says it was Wallace's appearance in his mother's documentary, The Hammer and the Anvil, about trade unions in the late 1970s, early 1980s that caught the eye of his film director father Geoff Murphy, which ultimately led to Wallace landing the iconic role of Te Wheke in Utu.
Activist and former MP for Te Tai Tokerau Hone Harawira believes that Wallace was the perfect candidate for the role of Te Wheke. They were one and the same, he says.
Harawira recalls Wallace as someone who always stood up for what he believed in.
He was a union chairman during New Zealand's longest-running industrial dispute during the construction of the Mangere Bridge in 1978.
Harawira also remembers Wallace during the occupation of Bastion Point in the 1970s. He was also involved in the kohanga reo movement and land issues.
According to Harawira, one of Wallace's greatest traits was his ability to put words into actions.