David Fane

David Fane is a writer, actor and comedian, who has enjoyed success on stage and screen since graduating from drama school Toi Whakaari in 1991.

Fane's parents moved to Auckland from Samoa in the 1960s. His acting career began at university when he saw an audition sign while drinking one night at a bar. Fane went on to become a founding member of The Naked Samoans, who created and performed several successful comedic stage shows. The combined talents of the group spawned hit animated series bro'Town, and feature Sione's Wedding, in which he played Bolo, conscience to the film's central quartet. Sequel Unfinished Business, released in January 2012, sees the team on a mission to find what has happened to him.

As well as helping write bro'Town, Fane voiced many characters for the long-running animated show, including Jeff da Maori, dodgy Dad Pepelo, Mack, Mrs Tapili, Wong from Hong Kong and Abo. Amidst the silliness, one of the episodes he is proudest of is a bro'Town episode about suicide. Fane went on to work alongside many of the bro'Town team on sketch series Radiradirah.

Fane's breakthrough TV role was being invited to join the cast of long-running sketch show Skitz in the late 90s. There he worked alongside future Naked Samoans Oscar Kightley and Robbie Magasiva. Fane would reunite with Magasiva and "phenomenal" Skitz director Danny Mulheron on short-lived spin-off The Semisis, the tale of a dysfunctional Samoan family. Clips of Fane in his Semisis role can be found here.

On television he is probably still most recognised for providing comic relief and oft-nonsensical philosophy as Falani, one of the part-time crooks of hit show Outrageous Fortune. The show's co-creator James Griffin would go on to write him a starring role in madcap 2009 comedy Diplomatic Immunity. Fane played Jonah, the dodgy ambassador to a mythical Pacific Island nation.

Fane's other TV work includes drama The Market, in which he played a Samoan Matai (chief) transplanted to an Auckland vegie stall, and the barman on comic-drama The Strip.

Fane's big-screen debut came long before Sione's Wedding: he played heavy Herman the Henchman in 2002 comedy Tongan Ninja. Still recognised for his role as Bolo in Sione, Fane was nominated for a NZ Film & TV best supporting actor award for a more serious role in Samoan-themed horror tale The Tattooist. The same year he managed a fight scene in a wheelchair for offbeat comedy Eagle Vs Shark. Fane was also seen in Rhys Darby romance Love Birds.

His theatre credits include Niu Sila, Fresh Off The Boat, Ladies Night, A Streetcar Named Desire, Serial Killers, Sons, and A Frigate Bird Sings, which he co-wrote.

Fane juggles his acting commitments with his role as one of the breakfast hosts on hip hop and R&B station Flava FM. Fane is known on the airwaves as Dr Fane, because his middle name is Rodney.

Sources include
Diana Wichtel, 'David Fane Interview' - Listener, 7 March 2009, Issue 3591
Sione's Wedding presskit