Green candidate for Whanganui, Alan Clay has just retired after a long career in the arts. He last ran for election at an early age, after studying politics as a teenager.
"I was actually active in the Labour Party and stood for election in East Coast Bays," Clay said.
Opting for a career in a different form of theatre, Clay has toured overseas extensively.
In this Local Focus video profile, he talks about his career having written five books, four screenplays and produced and directed two movies.
"I've done some of that here in Whanganui," he said. "I shot my first feature film here, it was set in Sydney but I shot the interiors in Whanganui."
He recognises that Whanganui is a creative town and says "the more we can foster that the better."
He also endured a series of quickfire pop culture questions with mixed results.
Also standing in the Whanganui electorate:
• Jonathan Marshall for the New Conservatives
• Heather Marion Smith for Social Credit
• Charlotte Weber for Advance NZ
• and Hillary Kieft as an independent
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'He was such a nice chap. He had a word for everybody.'