What position do you hold at the University of Auckland? What has been your career path so far?
My career has covered more 100 stage productions in which I have worked as an actor, director or writer, and more than 2-dozen TV series as an actor and sometimes writer.
I have worked on a number of films including acting in a core cast role in The Hobbit trilogy, and directing and writing a number of doco-dramas.
I have also done a lot of voice work including 150 national and international documentary narrations, commercial and theatre recordings, audio books, in-house presentations and so on.
I have spent more than 20 years as a guest lecturer at Toi Whakaari/NZ Drama School, Unitec, and for the past 6-7 years part-time at The Actors’ Program of which I am a board member.
What does your country’s culture value that is taught in your program?
From the earliest Māori settlers to the Europeans, Asians and others who followed, this land at the far end of the earth has rejoiced in a “can-do” attitude. We work hard and are respected for being people who get things done. With a small population we often have to make much from little.
This is part of what we do in the Screen Tools program at the University of Auckland. But the unique aspect of NZ culture extends to the land and the people of the land. Our work embraces all races, creeds and cultures alongside our own.
Did YOU study abroad?! If so, where and what inspired you to go?
Sadly, no. I have spent much time in France and Italy as well as many other places. What my travels have taught me is that art is an identifying foundation and expression of the culture of any nation, any people.
My study overseas has involved embracing a variety of cultural experiences; there is no one favorite… a solo guitar virtuoso beneath the towers of San Gimignano, a recital in a cathedral in Prague, acapella voices in a local church off the Boulevard St Germain, returning to the theatre of London’s West End with knee-crushingly small seat space but superb performances, red-carpet film premieres in Los Angeles, London and Wellington, almost being thrown out of St Marks because I was on my knees feeling the mosaic that has withstood the feet of centuries’ of visitors, tear-jerking and uplifting festival films here in New Zealand and overseas.
All these experiences line up alongside street performers, student films and gallery experiences to provide a study base from which I gain inspiration.
One cannot separate people and art.
Describe a time when you felt especially proud to be part of the University of Auckland team.
I need only look at what my former students are doing in the film, television and associated media to feel a sense of pride, not so much because we worked together at the University, but because here they are now putting into practice their skills and talents.
It’s also great to be asked by them to join a project from time to time and even to be employed by them.
What is the best story you’ve heard from a past student?
Here are two stand-outs:
- A student who is now climbing the ladder of success in the industry having confirmed her life’s course as a result of work done on our course at the University of Auckland.
- Another student who showed talent in front of the camera on the precursor to this course, then went on to drama school and is now working as a full-time actor in Los Angeles.