Aidee Walker

Hamilton-born Aidee Walker was in her final year of acting studies at Unitec, when she got a part in horror film The Locals. These days Walker is a writer and director too. Her acting CV includes many memorable roles: Lee-Anne in true story telemovie Catching the Black Widow, the fiesty Draska Doslic in Outrageous Fortune, widow Kate Ryder in One Lane Bridge and her award-nominated turn in comedy film How to Meet Girls from a Distance. Walker has directed for everything from sitcom Kid Sister to Mystic and Westside, as well as writing, directing (and often acting) in a run of shorts — including 2013 award-winner Friday Tigers. 

She's played rep hockey and studied Māori. She plays guitar. She has directed three music videos for her friend, singer Anna Coddington ... She's been to five universities, was sports captain at her high school, has a bachelor's degree in performing arts from Unitec and has made an award-winning short film which she wrote, directed and acted in ... If this was anyone else, I expect they'd have collapsed from exhaustion, or exploded from the effort. Writer Greg Dixon in The NZ Herald, 5 October 2013