Shortland Street - The Podcast: Jess Sayer and Marianne Infante on diversity on the show

Maeve played by Jess Sayer (left) married Nicole, played by Sally Martin, in 2020. Photo / South Pacific Studios

While many soap operas around the world have made headlines in recent years for having their first LGBT characters or non-white characters, Shortland Street has been celebrating diversity from the very beginning.

With Temuera Morrison's Dr Ropata taking a prominent role from the very beginning, to multiple gay characters being introduced in the early years, including Karl Urban's Jamie Forrest, diversity has long been a cornerstone of the nation's most popular drama.

The show is even more culturally diverse than ever, with including married couple Nicole and Maeve, played by Sally Martin and Jess Sayer, raising their blended family together, and Filipino nurse Madonna Diaz, played by Marianne Infante, representing the realities of our health system.

On today's episode of Shortland Street - The Podcast, Sayer and Diaz join host and co-star Kura Forrester to discuss what it's like bringing this diversity to the most watched drama in the country.

They discuss how Shortland Street has shaped the culture, what it's like bringing authenticity to their roles and characters, the challenges of playing tough storylines, and whether their character's "tough female" personas would be described as such if they were men.

Infante said when she moved to New Zealand from the Philippines, she was told to watch Shortland Street despite speaking fluent English.

"Just to fit in, and understand Kiwi accents, Shortland Street showed me the way."

Sayer said it's been powerful to have her own life reflected on television with Maeve and Nicole's relationships.

"Recently we had three queer couples on the show, three sets of women together, existing in Ferndale just blew my mind. It was like my life being reflected back at me."

She said that it's important for the show to have diversity as it shows the audience that they aren't alone and their experience isn't individual.

Infante said it's nice to feel seen through the show.

"When I was growing up in Ōtautahi in Christchurch, never would I have ever imagined a Filipino actor in magazines, on prime-time television.

"That was like a utopian dream for me. And to actually be that person, sometimes I can't really believe it, but it's delightful that it's happening now."

Forrester is also joined by production assistant Ani Ryder-Pohatu, who helps with the te reo translations on the soap opera, and former cast member JJ Fong discusses her role on the show as Ruby.

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