I don't think there was a clear moment I decided I wanted to be an actor. Certainly there were experiences I had that helped seal the deal. Working with great groups of people on exciting projects and the camaraderie conspired to hook me in.
Of course I have questioned my path and I have been close to bailing. Surviving in the arts is a struggle for everyone. There is always uncertainty and you need to be versatile to keep your head above water. I have worked and continue to work on lots of other jobs, but have been lucky to keep working in the arts.
I don't really think about fame. For me, performing is about striving to do the best and most relevant work I can, while continuing to develop and grow as an actor or director.
At 20 I didn't have much of a plan. It was mostly about surviving one day to the next. I can't say things have changed that much. I feel fortunate to be still getting a variety of work and to be working quite a lot with young people, which was not something I had planned but really enjoy. Directing is quite a new thing for me and developed out of my teaching work at the Pacific Institute of Performing Arts. I was chuffed to get this opportunity to support Lavinia [Uhila] on Angels.
Whatever the field, gender equity should be a given. We need to strive for a greater diversity in performing arts, developing better representation for many sections of our society - women, diverse cultures, diverse sexualities - we need to work really hard to ensure all voices are heard and represented.
