KielMcNaughton
- Actor
- Director
Manurewa-bred Kiel McNaughton followed stunt work and study at Unitec with a five year stint playing beloved Shortland Street nurse James 'Scotty' Scott. Alongside his wife Kerry Warkia, he founded Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions in 2006, where he has directed shows Find Me a Māori Bride, This is Piki, and Nia’s Extra Ordinary Life, New Zealand’s first web series for kids. McNaughton and Warkia went on to produce anthology movies Waru and Vai, which was shot across the Pacific. In February 2020 McNaughton made his debut as a feature film director, with action movie The Legend of Baron To'a.
Screenography
Awards
2023 New Zealand Television Awards/Ngā Taonga Whakaata O Aotearoa
Best Director: Drama / Comedy Drama: for Princess of Chaos
2017 New Zealand Television Awards
Nominated for Best Children's Programme (with Kerry Warkia and Jared Kahi): Nia's Extra Ordinary Life 2
“We were born in 2006, founded by actors who wanted to shape their own opportunities for rewarding work. Brown celebrates our ethnicity. Sugar symbolises fun that comes from creativity. Apple as a reminder to be natural. Grunt recognises the effort required to deliver successful content. It's also the name of our favourite dessert.”