Oscars bags of fun but now for school

By ALAN PERROTT

If attending the Oscars was Christmas, then arriving back in Auckland was when Keisha Castle-Hughes got to show off her presents.

The wide-eyed 13-year-old almost bounded through the arrival gate at 7.30am yesterday clutching her teddy bear, with mother Desrae Hughes and three trolleys laden with booty.

Only four days earlier, more than 43 million United States viewers watched Keisha walk up the red carpet and take her seat in the front row of the Kodak Theatre.

Yesterday's entrance may not have been on the same scale, but she still had to suck in a huge breath to control her excitement enough to receive an emotional karakia and haka from her tearful relatives.


"Oh we're just so proud of our little one," said her nan, Mere Knight. "I think the whole of the world was absolutely blown away by our little girl."

"She's done very well and put on a good show for us all," said Keisha's great-grandfather Tom Hughes.

Penrose High School principal and former Warriors and Kiwis league player Iva Ropati said her family had asked to keep her school return as normal as possible.

"So it'll be pretty much school as usual for her on Monday."

Keisha's agent, Graham Dunster, is looking forward to his own break after dealing with the huge interest the young starlet attracted.

Producers have offered new roles and there have been talks with various powerbrokers on her future, but Mr Dunster said it was too early to think about her next step.

"It's been a very busy month," he said. "During the leadup she probably had more coverage than anyone except [best actress winner] Charlize Theron, she's such a natural."

Mr Dunster, who also represents Lucy Lawless and Karl Urban, said he had never encountered a performer who had advanced so far, so fast.

But the future doesn't concern Keisha much just now - she'll be busy enough unpacking her bags.