Nancy Brunning (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tūhoe) made her television debut in 1992, in the first episode of Shortland Street. Brunning gave a memorable performance as gang girl Tania in movie What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, and later won attention for her role in Mahana. Her work for television included Riwia Brown's adaptation of her play Ngā Wahine, Fish Skin Suit, and an award-winning double performance in the century spanning Ngā Tohu: Signatures. Alongside a busy theatre career, she also directed 2008 short film Journey to Ihipa.

Nancy Brunning passed away in November 2019. In this ScreenTalk interview from 2012, Brunning talked about:

• How it took six months to get used to working on the set of Shortland Street
• Feeling the pressure of playing the only Māori female character on prime time TV
• Having to tell her father she was playing a lesbian in early movie When Love Comes
• Writing a diary to develop her tough role in Once Were Warriors sequel What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?
• Her straight-talking relationship with What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? director Ian Mune
• The challenges of playing her character Joy in drama The Strength of Water
• Why one particular scene in the film proved to be the hardest to shoot