Watch out, Cliff ahead

Here's more from screen star Cliff Curtis on his unintended action scene: while driving to the River Queen set the other day his SUV hit a parked car, went out of control came to rest in the lounge of a house in Otaki.

No one was hurt in the 5am crash which was caused, says Curtis, because he was distracted by an incoming text message. But the actor, although shaken and scratched, emerged with his sense of humour unscathed.

"It looks like I had a good game of rugby. I got a sore shoulder from the seatbelt. But I'm very lucky.

"I swerved to avoid the car when I saw it. I hit the car with the passenger side of my car and then I had to over-correct to not go over the white line and hit oncoming traffic and that took me straight into a hedge. Obviously the tension in my leg - I couldn't get my leg off the accelerator over to the bloody brake. I was obviously locked up.

"The bloody thing is how lucid I was. I remember the number on the letterbox - it was 111 - I saw it as I was sitting there doing the interview with the police officer. I was concerned because I was so clear I was going to get a delayed reaction but it hasn't happened.

"I did a few breathing exercises. I said a few prayers, a few karakia and I talked to my mum and you know, the scratches look pretty gory. But apart from that, nobody hurt.

"I was just on the way to work, trying to multi-task.

"Wrong kind of multi-tasking."