You are here:

Synopsis

TVNZ’s Māori programme Koha talks to Billy T James in this studio interview. At 34, he is already one of NZ’s most prominent performers after a breakthrough role in Radio Times, two years of his own TV show and winning Entertainer of the Year. Topics include the unwitting role his teachers played in his mimicry, his brief career in commercial art, touring with the Maori Volcanics and whether his characters unfairly stereotype Māori. He also discusses why his humour doesn’t work with overseas audiences and recounts meeting a rather confused American.

Credits (2)

 Aroaro Hond
 Billy T James

Post a comment

   
I am:
 

Please keep your comments relevant to this title. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Comments

No one has commented yet. Go on, be the first!

Produced by

Source

Favourite:

You need to be logged in to add to your favourites.

Related Titles (4)

 Koha - Te Māori, A Cloak of Words

Television, 1984 (Full Length)

More from Koha

 Billy T James - A Daughter's Story

Television, 1997 (Excerpts)

Billy T's daughter pays tribute to her father

 Radio Times

Television, 1980

Billy T's breakthrough TV role

 The Billy T James Collection - Episode Four

Television, 1992 (Full Length Episode)

This Billy T Best Of includes his newsreader character

Quotes

I’m not stereotyping. I travel around this country every week and I’m working to the people every week. And that character on the Maori news — I’m just portraying people that I see. You know there are people like that. There are people with that sense of humour. There are people who speak like that.