Aroha Rawson

Although born in Auckland, actor Aroha Rawson grew up in Christchurch after her family made the move when she was a toddler. At age 11 she discovered her love of acting, and "begged" her Mum for drama lessons. In 2020 she was nominated for an NZ TV Award for her role in schoolyard sitcom Mean Mums as Hine, a relaxed mum of five. Rawsom has also had one-off roles in Shortland Street, The Brokenwood Mysteries, and the TV version of The Dead Lands; in pioneering 2020 gender diverse web series Rūrangi she plays Whina. Her feature CV includes Mahana and Same But Different - A True New Zealand Love Story.

...when I was a child, I was the one that was always asking, ‘I want to carry the baby, cuddle the baby, feed the baby, change the baby’s nappy...my Māori family is huge and then with my Pākehā family we’ve grown up in an extended family sort of a way. Aroha Rawson on bringing her maternal side to her Mean Mums role, Stuff, 3 September 2020