
Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played water polo, surfed, paddled outrigger canoes, practiced Brazilian jiu jitsu, and sailed but nothing excited him more than being on stage. Kaiwi has experience as a close up magician and has won and placed in several magic competitions. He was fortunate to have four years of intense theater arts training in high school at the Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts. After high school Kaiwi moved to California in 2002 to pursue his passion in the entertainment business. He attended Santa Monica College and, to fulfill an assignment, in the first few weeks of class, he delivered a monologue from The Crucible. The teacher realized his experience was beyond an Acting 101 class and had him then deliver the monologue to the drama department head. She immediately recognized his talent and suggested he audition for Julliard School. Kaiwi was determined, however, to get a screen role and it wasn't long before he got his first break when, in 2003, Kaiwi played the lead role of Colin in the horror film, Trespassers. Since then he has taken on a variety of different projects. His work displays his range of roles, from comedic to dramatic, in numerous films, TV shows, webisodes and commercials.

Den of Thieves
2018 · as 'Tony Z' Zapata

Empire City

Trigger Warning
2024 · as Ghost

Copshop
2021 · as Officer Barnes

Circle
2015 · as Bearded Man

Zoombies
2016 · as Daxton

Sympathy for the Devil
2023 · as Colleague

Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus
2010 · as USS Argonaut Officer

Blackmark
2018 · as Timothy Daniels

40 Days and Nights
2012 · as Baggins

The Final Wish
2019 · as Derek

Hickok
2017 · as John Wesley Hardin

Dragon Day
2013 · as Tibbit

Android Cop
2014 · as Wescott

American Violence
2017 · as Jackson Shea

Mega Python vs. Gatoroid
2011 · as Tommy

Acceleration
2019 · as Jimmy

The Outsider
2019 · as James Walker