Boy star James Rolleston looking sharp at Attitude Awards ceremony

NZ Herald

29 Nov, 2016 06:06 PM3 mins to read

Boy star James Rolleston presents winner Debra Lampshire with the ACC Supreme Award at the Attitude Awards in Auckland. Photo/ Supplied

Actor James Rolleston has been pictured looking sharp in a suit at the Attitude Awards in Auckland last night, four months after a car crash nearly cost him his life.

In a tweet sent by Attitude Live, Rolleston can be seen on stage in a sharp suit and smiling at the award ceremony at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane.

He was presenting the ACC Supreme Award at the ninth annual ceremony, which was won by Debra Lampshire, an advocate for change in the mental health system.

The Attitude Awards recognise the achievements of Kiwis living with disabilities.

Rolleston, who found fame starring in Taika Waititi's Boy, was seriously injured in an Opotiki car crash on July 26.

The car he was travelling in hit a bridge, and "half the bridge" ended up in the car according to a volunteer firefighter who attended.

Rolleston was taken to Waikato Hospital's Intensive Care Unit where he remained for nearly a month.

Rolleston was pictured in a second tweet with actor Cliff Curtis, who has been a close friend and mentor, and All Black Sonny Bill Williams.

So awesome to have @SonnyBWilliams, Cliff Curtis and James Rolleston at the #AttitudeAwardsNZ pic.twitter.com/bOOG1d4iiZ
— Attitude (@attitude_tv) November 29, 2016

The young actor, who also starred alongside Cliff Curtis in the movie The Dark Horse, faces a long road to recovery.

He has started physiotherapy, swimming and speech therapy at Auckland's ABI Rehabilitation Centre.

His nana Christina Rolleston told the Herald in October he now walked with a slight limp.

"His speech is good but not good enough to be in front of the camera yet but he has a strong inner drive so he'll make it.

"He said to me, 'Nan, if I have learned anything, it's to treasure life. It's a gift'."

Amazing to have James Rolleston to present the ACC Supreme Award #AttitudeAwardsNZ pic.twitter.com/VJAt5VZW2P
— Attitude (@attitude_tv) November 29, 2016

ACC Supreme Award Winner: Debra Lampshire

Debra Lampshire started hearing "voices" at 6 years old.

She was eventually committed to Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital at 17 and remained there for 18 years.

On her release, Lampshire took her medication and went between boarding houses and other psychiatric facilities. She never believed she would be able to live independently.

These days the mental health advocate not only lives independently, she is sought out to speak at international conferences to encourage others to do the same.

Lampshire is a professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland and a project manager for a project on psychological interventions for enduring mental illness for the Auckland District Health Board.

She helps lead the development of psychological strategies for positive symptoms of psychosis - the first non-clinician to do so.