Shavaughn Ruakere: The leap of faith from TV presenting to acting...

Shavaughn Ruakere began her screen career as a presenter on kids TV show What Now?, and later graduated to music channel C4 after a stint on UK morning show SM:TV. Since then Ruakere has made the switch to acting, and appeared in a number of shows including The Jaquie Brown Diaries and a long stint in Shortland Street as Roimata Ngatai.

In this ScreenTalk, Ruakere talks about:

• Being scared by going on live TV for What Now?
• How the trick on a kids show is not to be shy about being a ‘dick’
• Witnessing two experienced actors ‘ad-libbing’ on the set of River Queen
• Confusion about a nude scene in the film
• How presenting on C4 showed a more mature side of herself
• Wearing leather and high heels for Legend of the Seeker
• How her role on Shortland Street pulled her out of a slump
• The similarities and differences between her and her character Roimata
• Coping with the time restraints and pace of shooting on the show
• Loving working with George Henare and the rest of her on-camera family
• How ‘being someone else’ on set helps her overcome doubt

This video was first uploaded on 16 December 2013, and is available under this Creative Commons licence. This licence is limited to use of ScreenTalk interview footage only and does not apply to any video content and photographs from films, television, music videos, web series and commercials used in the interview.

Interview, Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside