Calvin Tuteao (Kawa)

Calvin Tuteao made his acting debut as a gang leader in Once Were Warriors and since then has played a range of roles in film, television and theatre, including Dr Victor Kahu in Shortland Street. His other television work includes The Legend of the Seeker, Xena: Warrior Princess, Cleopatra 2525, Duggan, Mataku, The Man Who Lost his Head and Burying Brian.

He recently played a core cast role in the Maori language teaching drama series Whanau and was in Korero Mai, both produced by Cinco Cine. His film work includes the features Crooked Earth and Feathers of Peace and short films The Medal, Pikowae andPatu Ihu. Theatre productions include Te Kawakia and Nga Tangata Katoa for Taki Rua Productions andThis Other Eden for the Court Theatre.

Nathalie Bolt (Annabelle)

Nathalie Boltt migrated to New Zealand four years ago to join her husband, who works at Weta Digital. Originally from South Africa, she had been living in London, after stints in America and Germany.  She says that ironically, ever since she has been in New Zealand, she has gained more work in the United States than ever before. Soon after she arrived here, she was offered the role of Sarah Livingstone, the sociologist in the box office smash film District 9, which was doubly ironic, since it was a South African film. She is very well known in South Africa from her core cast role as Joey Ortlepp in the soap operaIsidingo (aka The Need) and a mini-series Ella Blue. While there, she appeared in a German film, Der weisse Afrikaner (aka Platinum).

Her work in America includes Doomsday, with Bob Hoskins and Robert Carlyle, the NBC television production of The Poseidon Adventure, Route 30 and Flood.  Her UK work includes the television seriesInspector George Gently with Martin Shaw. In New Zealand, she had a guest role in The Cult and was Dotty Wott in Weta Workshop’s children’s series The Wotwots. She has a lead role in Bloodlines, directed by Peter Burger for Screentime, which will also air in this year’s Sunday Theatre spot on TV One.

Dean O’Gorman (Chris)

His recent television work also includes Legend of the Seeker, The Cult and Go Girls. Prior to that he was away from New Zealand for seven years in Australia and Los Angeles. He had roles in McLeod’s Daughters, Farscape, MDA, All Saints, a US television pilot and voiced a BBC cartoon.

His earlier television work in New Zealand includes Xena: Warrior Princess, Young Hercules, Serial Killers, Dugganand Shortland Street. His feature film work includes Toy Love, Snakeskin, When Love Comes, Bonjour Timothy and US independent horror The Legend of Mary Worth. He is also active in theatre, with recent roles in Blood Wedding and The Rabbit in addition to Ruben Guthrie. O’Gorman also works as a photographer and is currently planning an exhibition.

George Henare (Hamiora)

George Henare was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in 2010 for Services to the Theatre. He received a Te Waka Toi Award for contribution to Maori Theatre and was made a Laureate in the prestigious Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Awards in 2008.  His career began in 1965 in the New Zealand Opera Company’s Porgy and Bess with Inia Te Wiata and Don Selwyn.

He has performed in countless television, theatre and film productions in New Zealand and Australia over the years, playing a wide variety of characters. His feature films include Once Were Warriors, Crooked Earth, The Silent Oneand Rapanui. In 1988, he was awarded an OBE for Services to Theatre. At the 1994 Entertainer of the Year Awards he won best theatrical performance for his role as Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar. He won Best Actor at the 2000 NZ Television Awards for Nga Tohu: Signatures and was named Narrator of the Year by The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind in 2001. In 2006, he won a Chapman Tripp Best Actor Award for his portrayal of Willy Loman in Circa Theatre’s Death of a Salesman.

Vicky Haughton (Grace)

Vicky Haughton won the New Zealand Film Awards best supporting actress award for her portrayal of Nanny Flowers in the internationally-acclaimed Whale Rider, directed by Niki Caro. She was nominated for best actress for her performance as Hira Mata in Her Majesty, directed by Mark Gordon.

Her other film roles include Jubilee, In My Father’s Den and the upcoming After the Waterfall. Television drama includesLegend of the Seeker, Last Man Standing, Rude Awakenings, Mercy Peak, Mataku, Xena: Warrior Princessand Marlin Bay. She has an extensive career in musical theatre, which includes High Society, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chicago, Ladies Night, Wind in the Willows and The Whale Rider Stage Show. Her background is in dance and she was a core dancer in early New Zealand television variety shows including Radio Times, 12-Bar Rhythm & Shoes and VJM. She also works as a choreographer for shows such as My Fair Lady and Oliver and most recently Raising the Titanics, the play about a fictional 1960s Maori showband.

Pana Hema-Taylor (Sebastian)

Pana Hema-Taylor began acting at Aranui High School in Christchurch, where he won the best male actor award in the 2007 Sheila Winn Schools Shakespeare Competition. He is currently in cinemas as Juju in Taika Waititi’s box office hit comedy Boy and his role as Ziggi in Katie Wolfe’s short film Redemption, which premiered at Sundance and Berlinale. He was also in Ebony Society, a short film directed by Tammy Davis (better known as the actor playing Munter in Outrageous Fortune). He has also worked with Katie Wolfe on the play Nga Manurere, written by Renae Maihi, and Whanau, the Maori language teaching drama series produced by Cinco Cine for TV One.