Duane Wichman-Evans jnr is about to shoot to international stardom. Photo / Supplied
Duane Wichman-Evans jnr is about to shoot to international stardom. Photo / Supplied
Three Kiwi actors are set to attract worldwide attention: Duane Wichman-Evans jnr in the Avatar movies, Mel Odedra in Apple TV+’s Shantaram and Joe Witkowski, who leads out a bunch of Kiwi names in the second season of Netflix’s One of Us is Lying.
Wichman-Evans jnr - whom audiences are getting to know on TVNZ 2′s Duckrockers - tells Spy he doesn’t yet get recognised walking down the street in his hometown of Auckland.
But that might all be about to change. The 19-year-old is about to shoot to international stardom when the first of James Cameron’s Avatar sequel movies, Avatar: The Way of Water hits the big screen next month.
He has worked on Netflix’s Sweet Tooth and has just wrapped filming on The Convert with Aussie star Guy Pearce.
He may be about hit screens with Hollywood’s best and brightest, including Avatar alumni Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, not to mention Kiwi acting veteran Cliff Curtis, but Wichman-Evans jnr reckons working on the Sione’s Wedding prequel was just as special.
“Duckrockers was a lot of fun because I’m with a bunch of teenagers who are close to my age and we have the same kind of humour. I absolutely adored my time on this show and made the best of friends,” says Wichman-Evans jnr.
“I will be over the moon if we get a second season. Quack! Quack!”
Wichman-Evans jnr plays the role of young Michael, Robbie Magasiva’s flirty character from the original films.
Magasiva also stars in the show as Michael’s strict father. It was a full circle moment for Wichman-Evans jnr, who played the son of Magasiva’s late brother, Pua Magasiva, also called Michael, on Shortland Street for four years.
“Reuniting with Robbie was so awesome! I missed him so much and it brings back memories of someone else special – Pua - who will always hold a special place in my heart,” he says.
Mel Odedra. Photo / Supplied
On Shantaram, Odedra plays mafia boss Walid Shah. The series is based on the best-selling novel that stars Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam, playing a fugitive, Lin Ford, looking to get lost in vibrant and chaotic 1980s Mumbai.
Odedra says his character was only mentioned in the novel, however, the series producer and writer, Steve Lightfoot, told him he had rewritten the role of Walid specifically for him after his audition.
“In the series, he takes on a much more antagonistic role, he is a powerful man, which is always fun to play as an actor.”
He says he and many of the cast were inspired by the work Hunnam put into his role and followed his attitude, ethos and dedication.
“The dude put in some serious graft, as we all did. For him 60-70 hours on set week after week.”
Odedra loved working with a talented international cast as they filmed in Thailand and says the painstaking detail with which the India of 1980s was re-created was phenomenal.
Odedra, who stars in Shortland Street, has been in The Bad Seed, and the NZ filmed The Shannara Chronicles and has recently filmed another project, Bad Behaviour, with Top Gun 2: Maverick star Jennifer Connelly and UK’s This is Going to Hurt’s Ben Whishaw.
The dark comedy is Aussie/NZ actor Alice Englert’s directorial debut and follows Academy Award winner Connelly’s character Lucy, a former child actress who seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by spiritual leader Whishaw, with Odedra playing a Bollywood star.
Another young actor to watch is Witkowski, who was singled out to Spy by One of Us is Lying executive producer Matt Groesch.
Other Kiwi actors in the second season include a return starring role for Juniper star George Ferrier. The series also features Emma Jenkins-Purro, Sara Wiseman and Mattias Inwood.
“It was wonderful having the New Zealand actors from last year come back and the second season allowed us to expand storylines and bring on many more talented actors,” says Groesch.
“Joe Witkowski plays Jake’s older brother, Cole, a tough ask, being thrust into this mystery, having to make his presence known while keeping an air of suspicion about him.”
Witkowski has previously starred alongside Kick-Ass star Chloe Grace Moretz, in New Zealand director Roseanne Liang’s feature film Shadow in the Cloud, as well as featuring as a recurring guest in the Prime Video series The Wilds.
Groesch says his US and Kiwi cast all had a great time during their time together in NZ, both on set and enjoying the best the country has to offer in their downtime.
“I can speak for all of us in saying we’ve made great friends in New Zealand and hope to be back to see everyone again soon, hopefully for season three.”
