Robbie Magasiva: on following his heart...
2011 10m
Over a decade ago Robbie Magasiva gave himself two choices - rugby or acting. Since then, Magasiva has made audiences laugh in Skitz, The Semisis and Sione’s Wedding, and has starred in numerous screen dramas including Shortland Street, Cover Story, Jackson’s Wharf, Doves of War and The Tattooist. He made the acting call and hasn’t looked back.
In this ScreenTalk, Magasiva talks about:
- His first on screen acting role in a party political broadcast
- How he landed roles in Skitz and The Semisis
- Recently catching his buttoned-down character in Jackson’s Wharf on late night TV and cringing
- Behind-the-scenes dynamics on and off the set of Stickmen
- His amusing audition process for The Strip
- How he joined The Naked Samoans and the joys of making Sione’s Wedding
- Cultural insights from the set of The Tattooist
- Auditioning for his role on Shortland Street
Interview Credit
Interview, Camera and Editing - James Coleman
“I came to one point I either could have gone rugby, or I could have gone acting. But the ticker always said 'let's go this way, let's go with this acting thing and see what happens'.”
Robbie Magasiva on choosing to pursue acting as a career over rugby
