My God - Gareth Morgan
Economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan is typically forthright as he explains his atheism in this episode from the TV One series about spirituality. Morgan walked away from a Reserve Bank job to live in a bus (from where he eventually founded his company Infometrics). He talks candidly about childhood operations for a cleft lip and his decision to give away the millions earned from his investment in Trade Me (founded by his son Sam) but is less than charitable in his views on accountants. Note: Morgan does not worship Bastet (the Egyptian goddess of cats).
My God
Presenter Chris Nichol explored the spirituality of New Zealanders in this interview based documentary series. It ran for five years and was intended to broaden TV One’s religious programming to reflect a growing diversity of faiths and philosophical approaches to life (from conventional religions through to a Wiccan, a rationalist and an atheist). Each episode examined the life and beliefs of one person. Interviewees included Sir Ray Avery, Gareth Morgan, Wynton Rufer, Moana Maniapoto, Joy Cowley, Nandor Tanczos, Ahmed Zaoui and Ilona Rogers.
God, Sreenu and Me
Filmmaker Stewart Main traverses India seeking enlightenment. There he meets ex-pat Kiwis who seem to have found it, which only leaves him feeling trapped in a life of the senses. Especially when he falls for his Indian sound recordist, Sreenu. Or so he would have us think. Made for TVNZ's Work of Art documentary slot, Main's startling, provocative film explores the cracks between the divine and the sensual, documentary and fiction. Director Andrew Bancroft writes about the result in this backgrounder.
Peter Hayden
Peter Hayden’s long storytelling career spans fact, fiction, feather and fur. Hayden has worked extensively behind the scenes on a run of nature documentaries, made for company NHNZ. His acting career includes roles in classic goldmining drama Illustrious Energy and Maurice Gee series The Fire-Raiser. In 2017 Hayden was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to film and television.
Simon Prast
Actor/director Simon Prast is best-known for his stage career, and 11 years commanding the Auckland Theatre Company. Prast's screen-acting career dates back to the mid 80s, most famously for his role as rich kid Alister Redfern in beloved soap Gloss. His biggest feature role to date remains Stephen, man-at-the-crossroads in 1998 feature When Love Comes.
Grant Tilly
Actor Grant Tilly, who died in April 2012, displayed his gifts for understated comedy in movies Middle Age Spread and Carry Me Back. The versatile Tilly had done it all — from acclaimed theatre performances (often in Roger Hall plays) to screen roles that took in everything from adventure movies and landmark historical dramas (The Governor), to children's TV, sitcoms (Gliding On), and many voice-overs.
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.