She made her acting debut in Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) and came to prominence for her role in The Convert (2023), for which she was named a Rising Star at the Toronto International Film Festival.
[1][2] She is affiliated with Ngāti Porou and Tūhoe iwi, and is fluent in Te Reo Māori.
[3] As a teenager, she starred in a minor role in Taika Waititi's 2016 film Hunt for the Wilderpeople, following a casting call across schools in the East Cape region.
In 2020, Ngatai-Melbourne graduated from Toi Whakaari, the national drama school of New Zealand, with a BA in Acting.
[3] Following her graduation, she found starring roles as younger versions of main characters in both Cousins (2021) and Whina (2022).