Spy: Brokenwood brings out all the stars but who will survive?

Grace Palmer will hope to avoid a grizzly fate on Brokenwood.

It's a veritable who's who of well-known faces on tonight's episode of Brokenwood as the murder and mayhem find their way to the local boutique cinema.

Kiwi acting legend Jennifer Ward-Lealand makes her first appearance on the internationally successful show, together with 77-year-old grande dame of theatre Lisa Harrow.

Former Shorty stars Grace Palmer, Ryan O'Kane and Calvin Tuteao also all appear in the star-studded line-up.

Palmer has become the coolest actor around town. She's fun to party with and even more fun on social media. She and husband Rawiri Jobe are known to party with sporting greats, wealthy socialites, fashionistas and the media It crowd.

Although busy with her acting work, Palmer is a social media star - although says she just wants to have fun.

Jennifer Ward Lealand and Neill Rea on the set of Brokenwood.

"My social media is a real smorgasbord of content. I try not to overthink what I post but I'm always happy if it gets a giggle," she says.

Filming on Brokenwood came at the perfect time with a small window in her busy schedule. She has filmed a second series of Kura - the first season was the highest locally-made series streamed on TVNZ OnDemand last year.

She also has several writing projects, including the possibility of a second series of Good Grief. In the first, she joined forces with sister Eve to write and star in it.

Palmer says filming Brokenwood has been a highlight of the past year. She is a huge fan of the show's star, Fern Sutherland, but was gutted they didn't have any scenes together.

She did however get to film with one of the show's other stars, Jarod Rawiri and tells Spy he really is the cat's pyjamas.

"Loads of my mates have appeared on Brokenwood, and they all speak so highly of the awesome cast and crew. I can totally testify to this. Everyone involved is brilliant at what they do, and I was so stoked to have been involved," Palmer says.

Meanwhile, Ward-Lealand has also been busy. The 2020 New Zealander of the Year created a new live cabaret show with a full band, based on Rock Follies - a 1970s musical TV drama with an all-female lead cast. Together with Jackie Clarke, she then made Rock Follies Forever and convinced 31-year-old funny girl Laura Daniel to join the team to perform this week at The Civic's Wintergarden as part of Auckland Live's Cabaret Season