Geoffrey Dolan
Actor/singer Geoffrey Dolan has appeared on stage, screen and in ads. His roles include starring in Māori Television sitcom Kai Kōrero, the cuckolded pilot in TV's Mercy Peak, and Sergeant O'Neill in In My Father's Den. Dolan often acted alongside his friend Kevin Smith, including in 80s soap Gloss, comedy Double Booking, and all three Lawless tele-movies. Dolan has done voice-overs for the Power Rangers franchise, and is a prolific performer of corporate and cabaret work.
Ronald Sinclair
Ronald Sinclair began his movie career at age 11 as Ra Hould, when he appeared in Down on the Farm (1935), a contender for New Zealand’s first feature-length drama made with sound. The following year he went to Hollywood, where MGM changed his name to Ronald Sinclair for movie Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry. After war service with the US Army he worked for more than two decades as a film editor.
Maaka Pohatu
Maaka Pohatu was an established theatre actor (Strange Resting Places, The Māori Troilus and Cressida) before making his movie debut as hapless flatmate to Bret McKenzie's character, in 2012's Two Little Boys. Pohatu went on to play a sergeant battling the supernatural, in hit comedy series Wellington Paranormal. Alongside three fellow Toi Whakaari graduates, he was a founding member of The Modern Māori Quartet. They were the house band on Temuera Morrison variety show Happy Hour, then hosted their own show on Māori Television, My Party Song. Pohatu played Dalvanius Prime in acclaimed documentary Poi E.
Tom Finlayson
Tom Finlayson has worked in television in almost every capacity: as a reporter and producer in the cauldron of daily news, developing and producing classic drama shows (Under the Mountain, Mortimer's Patch) and movies, directing documentaries (The Party's Over) — as well as commissioning programmes, during a three year stint as TVNZ’s Director of Production.
Scott Wills
Actor Scott Wills made his name as one of the boys in 2001 pool caper Stickmen, which won him the best actor award that year at the New Zealand Film Awards. Since then he has appeared in police show Interrogation and won a Qantas award for playing the stay at home son in Sima Urale's Apron Strings.
Rod Vaughan
English born and raised, Rod Vaughan began writing for Kiwi newspapers after graduating in journalism from Wellington Polytechnic. Then he began 35 years at state broadcaster BCNZ, reporting for current affairs and primetime news, and famously facing off against one-time NZ Party leader Bob Jones. Afer 11 years with TV3's 60 Minutes, Vaughan published autobiography Bloodied But Not Beaten in 2012.
Bruno Lawrence
Bruno Lawrence was a widely popular and prolific actor, musician and counter-cultural hero. His inimitable and charismatic screen presence was central to Kiwi legends Smash Palace, The Quiet Earth and Utu. Lawrence was also known for his influential and anarchic travelling theatre troupe, Blerta.
Antonia Prebble
Antonia Prebble played the manipulative Loretta West on Outrageous Fortune over six seasons, before starring in prequel Westside. Prebble began her screen career aged 12 on TV series Mirror, Mirror, and did five seasons on sci-fi hit The Tribe during her school holidays. From 2013 her career got even busier, with starring roles in legal thriller The Blue Rose, Witi Ihimaera film White Lies and bio-thriller The Cure.
Terence Cooper
Northern Ireland-born Terence Cooper was a larger than life actor who got his big break playing one of multiple James Bonds in 1967 farce Casino Royale. Moving to New Zealand in 1976, he played patriachs in kidult hits Gather Your Dreams and Children of Fire Mountain. But his biggest role was as laconic detective sergeant Doug Mortimer over three seasons of rural police drama Mortimer's Patch. Off-screen, he opened Trouper Cooper's Curry House in Auckland and was an accomplished watercolour painter. Cooper continued to act into the early 1990s. He died in Queensland on 16 September 1997, aged 67.
Tom Scott
Catapulted to fame after tousles with Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, Tom Scott originally trained to be a vet. He ended up helping Murray Ball turn Footrot Flats into a hit movie. The celebrated humourist and cartoonist has also told the story of Kiwi legends Edmund Hillary and David Lange, in both TV documentaries and dramas. Scott also co-wrote Rage, a TV movie about the 1981 Springbok tour.