Where Is NCIS: Hawaii Star Alex Tarrant From?
"NCIS" has become one of CBS' most lucrative and drama-filled franchises. The original series, which follows a group of special agents in the Naval Criminal Investigative Services, premiered in September 2013 — and made actors like Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, and Brian Dietzen into household names. Since then, "NCIS" has spawned multiple franchises, including "NCIS: Los Angeles," "NCIS: New Orleans," and most recently, "NCIS: Hawaii."
"NCIS: Hawaii" premiered in September 2021 to much excitement because the show follows the first female special agent in charge of the NCIS in Pearl Harbor. Starring Vanessa Lachey, Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Jason Antoon, and more, the show has already gained a loyal following. Tarrant, in particular, has seen his star rise with many viewers wanting to know more about him, including his past acting experience and his personal life. Additionally, fans are also curious about where he's from. Here's everything we know about his background.
Alex Tarrant was born and raised in another country
Alex Tarrant may be new to television viewers in America, but the actor — who plays Kai Holman on "NCIS: Hawaii" — has accumulated an impressive credits list. Deadline noted that Tarrant appeared in several New Zealand series before he landed the role on "NCIS." As it turns out, Tarrant was born and raised in Ragland, New Zealand and graduated from Fraser High School in 2008, per TV Overmind. Additionally, Tarrant graduated from Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School, where he also met his wife Luci Hare, according to Woman's Day.
As for his heritage, Tarrant has ancestors who are of Māori, Samoan, and Niuean descent, according to Deadline. Judging from his projects, Tarrant is extremely proud of his ancestry, having participated in film projects by Māori filmmakers, per Teao Maori News. He also embraced his heritage by learning the Māori language alongside his son, Beaumont, who was born in 2018. "I've just been writing out little phrases on post-it notes and every now and then just trying to speak as much as I can to him and hopefully we will be able to grow in this journey together," he told Stuff that same year.
Alex Tarrant isn't the only cast member who grew up in another country
While Alex Tarrant grew up in a different country than the rest of his castmates on "NCIS: Hawaii," he's also not the only cast member with a different ethnicity and background. Vanessa Lachey, who plays Jane Tennant on the hit show, also had a unique upbringing. Lachey was born in the Philippines when her father, Vincent Minillo, was stationed there. As such she had a nickname of "Army BRAT" growing up, but the meaning is not what you think it is.
"What people don't know is that the acronym BRAT stands for Born Raised And Trained," she explained to TV Insider. "I was born in an Air Force base in the Philippines and my Dad was almost 30 years in the Air Force." According to Lachey's IMDb biography, her father is of Italian, Russian-Jewish, and Irish descent, whereas her mother — who left when she was a young child — is said to be Filipina.