Robert Bruce
Marriage brought Scottish-born Robert Bruce down under, where he wrestled on hit show On the Mat, and acted and did stunts for movies. The Robert Bruce Ugly Agency was born in 1978, representing both actors and stuntpeople. The agency's stable of actors would expand to include Cliff Curtis, Joel Tobeck and Temuera Morrison. Bruce died on 2nd March 2009, after a short illness.
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.
Bettina Hollings
Pioneering TV programmer Bettina Hollings can list the launch of Shortland Street and being the first female to head a major local television network among her credits. In 2000, she ‘jumped fence’ and formed Imagination Television. The company is responsible for making some of NZ’s most popular shows, including MasterChef New Zealand, New Zealand’s Got Talent and Grand Designs New Zealand.
Shane Cortese
Wellington-born Shane Cortese spent a decade in the United Kingdom — much of it starring in stage musicals — before returning to Aotearoa, to play psycho Dominic Thompson in Shortland Street. Two years later he showed his dance prowess on Dancing with the Stars, then was tapped to play Loretta’s boyfriend on Outrageous Fortune. Next came three seasons as the lovelorn Mac, on quiz show drama Nothing Trivial. The talented all-rounder continues to sing (with his 8-Track Band) and act (The Brokenwood Mysteries). In 2017 he began working in Auckland real estate, to complement his acting work.
Mark Everton
Mark Everton's broadcasting experience began in 1977 at Radio Hauraki. He joined the TVNZ newsroom in 1985 and from there moved to TV3 before going independent. Everton has been involved in numerous high-rating TV series and documentaries including the award-winning Back from the Dead and Lawson Quins doco The Five of Us. In 2014 he produced and directed acclaimed archival series Making New Zealand.