Joe Musaphia
Self-discipline has never been a problem for Joe Musaphia — he's written over 140 radio plays and dozens of full-length stage plays since 1960. His screen credits include pioneering Kiwi sketch show In View of the Circumstances, New Zealand's first musical Don't Let it Get You, sitcom Between the Lines and hosting childrens’ show Joe’s World. Musaphia has also worked as a columnist, cartoonist and actor.
Marcus Craig (Diamond Lil)
In the late 1970s actor and singer Marcus Craig ( aka Diamond Lil) popularised the glittering world of drag for mainstream New Zealand. His hit cabaret act featured talents like Billy T James and Tina Cross; his duet with Fred Dagg made the pop charts. His television credits include satirical series Something to Look Forward to, various guest slots and the role of co-host on variety show Top of the World.
Simon Reece
Simon Reece has had a long career editing television and film, cutting landmarks such as Tank Busters, The Governor, Pukemanu, The God Boy and Vigil. In 1990 he shifted post-production roles and set up Wellington company The Dub Shop, which specializes in providing digital services for broadcast, web and archives.
Ray Collins
Ray Collins was working in a camera-shop when a senior BCNZ cameraman offered him a job on the spot. Collins was shooting items for the main evening news his first morning on the job. Based in Dunedin for much of the 15 years he spent with the state broadcaster, Collins shot for Spot On, Fair Go and Wild Track. Collins left TVNZ in 1990, and now shoots and makes programmes from his Dunedin base.
Bill Stalker
One of Bill Stalker's earliest screen roles was played a biker in 1971 TV drama Pukemanu. Masterton-born Stalker spent time touring with multi-media sensation Blerta (he provided the spoken part for Blerta hit ‘Dance Around the World’), then began an ongoing role on pioneering Kiwi soap Close to Home. He went on to a successful television career in Australia, playing security man turned detective Peter Fanelli on both Skyways and Cop Shop. Stalker was killed in a motorbike crash in Melbourne on 28 November 1981; he was 33. A dedication featured on his final episode of Cop Shop.
Amanda Robertshawe
After beginning her career as a television journalist, Amanda Robertshawe has gone on to direct acclaimed documentaries on challenging issues like addiction (The Dark Side of the Moon), confronting death from cancer (My Name is Jane) and sexual responsibility (Is There Anybody Out There?). Her films reflect a fascination with the emotional consequences of life experiences.
Rima Te Wiata
Stage and screen veteran Rima Te Wiata has showcased her talents as an actor (Hunt for the Wilderpeople), impersonator (More Issues), and singer (Little Shop of Horrors) — often all at the same time. In 2017 Te Wiata was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit, for her work on film and television.
Tom Parkinson
Veteran producer Tom Parkinson has worked with some of New Zealand television's most popular comedians, including David McPhail, Jon Gadsby, and the late Billy T James (who he discovered in an Avondale Rugby League club). He also directed adventure series Hunter's Gold — whose international success helped launch a run of Kiwi-made children's dramas — and produced many international co-productions.
Francis Bell
As cantankerous plumber Max Ramsey, Kiwi Francis Bell was the original patriarch in iconic soap Neighbours. A popular and sought after actor in Australia, Bell had roles in numerous TV staples; he played ‘Pompey’ Elliot in the Anzacs mini-series. In the mid-80s Bell returned home, and in TV3 soap Homeward Bound played Dad to a young Karl Urban. In May 1994, aged 50, he fell from an Auckland building to his death.
Liddy Holloway
Probably best known for playing Alex McKenna (wife to the boss at the Shortland Street clinic), and Hercules' mother, Liddy Holloway also wrote scripts for many of the television shows she appeared in (among them: Shortland, Homeward Bound and Australia’s Prisoner). Holloway passed away in late 2004, after a screen career that spanned three decades.