00:00:00
What was it about yourself that you saw that you didn't like? >> I lost my ex-wife to ego.
00:00:03
>> May 11, 2019. What are you What are your memories of that day? >> 3:00 in the morning, I get a call from
00:00:09
poor twin. Didn't answer it. And he called again. Didn't answer it. Third
00:00:13
time I answered it and he said, "Who's just passed?" Didn't register that. I
00:00:17
said, "What?" Said poor poor passed away on the flooring my eyes just like angry.
00:00:22
It was during co I lost my [ __ ] and I just hit the table and stormed out of there and I was just pissed off of
00:00:28
myself. When you say ego, were you unfaithful at the time? >> Yeah, very much so.
00:00:31
>> You're not as the hunky actor. >> Seeing this woman just all that gone,
00:00:34
you know, just watching TV and I know I, you know, I know she was lost in there.
00:00:38
It's just like every time I do look at her, it's just Yeah, it it it breaks my
00:00:42
heart. >> What do you think happens when you die? >> But to answer your question, when he
00:00:44
asked me a question, are you happy yourself? I was like, yes, I am actually. >> Oh, good. You're here. Come on. This is
00:00:52
the center of performance. Whenever there's a top performance in New Zealand, it all comes from here. That's
00:00:57
Lisa Carrington. She's been doing that for days. That's the boys who got the
00:01:01
hole in one in two. He did it again. Hey Finn, how's the performance going? >> Top tier.
00:01:08
>> Nice. This is our generate room. In here, you'll find our top performers
00:01:11
helping Kiwis maximize their Kiwi Saver investments. Get in here, Finn. Maximize. Generate.
00:01:18
>> Putting performance first. >> Robbie Manga. Hi, Dom. Hi, Dom Harvey.
00:01:22
Finally. Finally. I wore you down. trying to think how hold how long ago I got a first DM for a be broke do you
00:01:30
want to be in go cuz oh no I'm not interested and then back in the country said he's here he's here so I'm here
00:01:38
>> I appreciate it you said in the office just a second ago you're nervous why are
00:01:41
you nervous >> dude I'm always nervous well like I said to you at um before I said this is
00:01:46
you're my second podcast I don't often do it and mainly because I find myself
00:01:51
really boring cuz the first one I did was mandate and again I said to the boys both I um yeah I've got nothing to talk
00:01:58
about but it's as we got into it things started to come out I started to open up
00:02:02
which was really >> it really hit a a few people actually that mandate one with me so I thought
00:02:08
okay >> did you get yourself in trouble no or do people agree with I I listened to that
00:02:13
the other day I've been on the mandate podcast as well they do they do a great
00:02:16
job um it was very thorough like a 2 and a half hour chat that you had with them
00:02:21
um and there were like a lot of things that that you said like talking about how proud you are of being a man. And I
00:02:25
thought, "Oo, to a lot of people, this could be a hot take." >> Well, I thought that when I said it at
00:02:30
the time, you know, but I didn't get any grief about that, you know. I I just
00:02:34
kind of owned it, you know. I wasn't >> that's where I I'm I still, you know,
00:02:40
I'm I'm a proud man kind of thing. And but I'm also uh it doesn't mean I'm a
00:02:46
sexist or anything. I understand where people are and I accept that. But >> as if you ask me who I am, this is who I
00:02:52
am as a man >> and I'm proud to wear that badge. >> Well, I I you appreciated the um
00:02:58
authenticity. Like you agreed to come on my podcast before I'd heard the mandate
00:03:01
one. And after hearing the mandate one, I thought, "Oh, this podcast is going to
00:03:03
be great cuz um Robbie is unapologetically himself. Um and he's at a age and stage in his life where he
00:03:10
doesn't give a [ __ ] about what he says. He speaks his truth." >> Yeah. Well, let's hope. Let's hope.
00:03:15
>> So, you're back just to time stamp this. We're recording this over the um the
00:03:19
summer break uh 2025/2026. And you're living in LA at the moment, so you're back here for a limited time
00:03:25
only. >> No. Yeah. Well, I kind of moved over I moved over in end of 2023 um cuz my kids my kids uh both of them
00:03:35
live in Melbourne. Uh one is in uh France at the moment uh making her way back to to Melbourne. And I thought I've
00:03:42
got nothing else. And it was also a period of my life that I kind of needed to leave. You know, I think when that
00:03:48
podcast when mandate happened, I was in a period of my life where [ __ ] was happening to me. And then the back and I
00:03:56
just come out of that end of 2023 and I thought, no, in my heart said I need to I I need to leave here. I'm I I think I
00:04:05
need to be away so then I can appreciate this, you know, being here again. because I had no appreciation for it and
00:04:11
mainly all the [ __ ] that happened to me leading up to that. >> What was happening to you?
00:04:15
>> Oh, dude. Uh it was a relationship thing. Um all that stuff, but um >> you know uh I Yeah, that's yeah, buried
00:04:24
now in the past and we we move on. >> Okay. >> Yeah, there's a quote from you in the um
00:04:30
the Christ Church Press in March 2024. >> Oh [ __ ] what did I say? Um, and I
00:04:35
wonder if this um I bring this up cuz I wonder if it brings if if it's connected
00:04:39
to the what you're talking about, the [ __ ] happening to you, >> man. The last 3 years have been a
00:04:43
struggle. I had to sell sell all my [ __ ] >> I had to sell my car and some of my
00:04:47
bikes just to make ends meet. >> I was just watching that bank account go down and down and people have this
00:04:53
perception of, oh man, you're an actor, you're rich. Far from it. >> Is that connected to Was it like a
00:04:59
career slump as well? >> It was a career slump as well. Like everything happened at once. my uh my
00:05:04
relationship ending um and then just not having work work for about a year. Yeah,
00:05:10
I mean I was getting bits and and and bobs and all I'd accumulated. I mean I I
00:05:14
love my toys and I bought that when the back end of having nine season on Wentworth, you know, but then the
00:05:22
reality hit when Wentworth finished and then there was just no work for about 2 years which is like and then having
00:05:30
luckily I had that those to sell so I can you know make ends meet. And it was just like it was funny though because
00:05:37
being in the being in that dark place or where where everything where [ __ ] happens.
00:05:41
>> I I I which I think I said on the podcast I learned a lot about myself >> and now I'm prepped for it. Like this
00:05:48
year now I've only worked once but I know I'm careful with my money cuz I was
00:05:54
terrible with my money. I've got people that look after my money now and it's
00:05:56
working for me. So now I can even though I'm not working and I get anxiety about
00:06:02
not working, I know that I'm okay. I'm going to be okay for a a few years. All
00:06:07
I need to do now is get a job next year so I can fill up the bank. >> Um yeah, I mean it builds character. It
00:06:14
builds resilience adversity and going through the stuff. But [ __ ] it's never
00:06:18
fun at the time. >> No, it sucks. >> It sucks. It sucks. But I came, you
00:06:23
know, but that I'm proud. You look I I have to say I'm proud of myself. from
00:06:27
coming going going going through that cuz you know you hear horrible stories about people getting there and not
00:06:32
having the support or not having a way to deal with that and you know they end up choosing a road that I would never
00:06:41
yeah you know >> um >> how how you may not want to answer this and like there's no um stitchups or
00:06:48
gotchas here so you don't have to answer anything or whatever but so you're on
00:06:51
the show Wentworth for like nine season 100 episodes or something your your core
00:06:55
cast you must have been earning good Right. >> It was okay. >> Yeah.
00:06:59
>> Well, when I first when we when I first uh landed that role, um compared to what
00:07:04
I was earning here, it was big money. It was big. It was well I I pro it wasn't
00:07:09
as big as some of the um what the the women were getting because they well known in Australia. I was just this
00:07:15
little Kiwi that I happened to to have landed the role. So it generally I mean as a season went on I think I got a slow
00:07:22
raise but it was never um it was good money but it wasn't anywhere near what
00:07:27
the the women were getting. Yeah. Yeah. >> Um I believe around this time you
00:07:31
thought about quitting. I I heard um a couple of different interviews. One you said you talked about becoming a
00:07:36
firefighter. Another one I heard you talk about becoming a personal trainer. How how close were you actually to
00:07:41
>> well the back the the last season of Wentworth it was during co and I was away I was away from I was
00:07:50
away from my family for a few months because I couldn't leave the country they they well actually when wouldn't
00:07:56
allow me to leave because of the restriction they were nervous that I wouldn't wasn't able to get back into
00:08:02
the country to finish the season so I end up being stuck there for about 6 months I think it was away from my
00:08:08
family. And then there was a thing that happened on set. I turned up to set and I did this scene and I remember learning
00:08:14
my lines leading up to that to that scene. There was one line I just couldn't get. I just couldn't get. And I
00:08:22
left home, went on set, and I knew inside me goes, "Fuck, I'm not I'm not
00:08:26
going to get this." Anyway, we come to that scene. Sure enough, didn't hit it.
00:08:32
Stuffed up my line. We had ended up doing about 15 takes and that's a lot for a fast run. And I got to a point
00:08:39
that I got lost my [ __ ] and I just hit the table and stormed out of there. And
00:08:44
I was just pissed off with myself. And I know uh the first ad was a good mate of
00:08:49
mine. He just looked at me goes, "Bro, just do look just get as much out and
00:08:56
then they can edit." So why did that after I walked away from that and I said
00:09:01
to myself, "No, I don't want to do this [ __ ] again." I had anxiety turning up to
00:09:04
set from then on and I think we had a few week probably a month left of shoot. I was anxious every time I got up and
00:09:11
never happened to me before. And I got anxious turning up to see. I got anxious about learning lines and stuffing up my
00:09:17
lines. And then by the end of that, I left. I came home. When I finally did come home, I said, "N stuff this. I
00:09:22
don't want to do this anymore." And I rang my agent, my Australian agent. I
00:09:26
said, "Look, I don't want to do this anymore." And she said to me, "Look,
00:09:30
take the rest of the year off, right? And then we can have this conversation at the end of the year if you want. If
00:09:35
that's what you want to stick with." Yep. then I and then I accept and I
00:09:39
respect that but if not then we continue this journey but you look after yourself
00:09:43
work on yourself take a break away and I think 8 months I did that and so during that 8 months I explored being
00:09:55
a firefighter I whether what what the options are that or PT I didn't have any
00:10:00
qualifications I left school I only qualified in acting and rugby so the end of that I'd done all the work I needed
00:10:06
to do And then yeah, she said, "Okay, let's let's do that again."
00:10:09
>> And then she started slowly introduc um getting me little jobs just to,
00:10:14
>> you know, Yeah. ease you back into it. >> Well, that moment on Wentworth with um
00:10:18
the line that you couldn't get right. What was that about? It wasn't about the
00:10:21
line, was it? Like you you've been acting your entire adult life. >> Exactly. It was I think it was just just
00:10:28
the back end of Wetworth. I did not enjoy. The last two season, the last season of Wentworth, I didn't enjoy
00:10:34
actually. I gotten to a point where I I just didn't enjoy going to work. I enjoyed seeing the people, but I just
00:10:40
didn't enjoy it. I didn't know I didn't like the way my character where they
00:10:45
wrote my character, the the arc that they had, you know, cuz I'd turn up every season, they said, "You're going
00:10:50
to do this, this, and this." And it would never happen. So, by the end of it, I was just like, I'm over it. I
00:10:55
don't want to do this anymore. So it was a combination of that a com uh also
00:11:00
being away from my family for 6 months not not knowing not allowing to to leave. Uh and then that event there was
00:11:08
just it's where you know it kind of exploded and I said no stuff this I don't want to
00:11:13
do this. >> Wonder if yeah the um co lockdowns had something to do with it. Melbourne was
00:11:17
the worst city in the world to be locked down, right? >> It was like the longest city in the
00:11:22
world >> cuz the thing is in in in Australia, you couldn't go, you know, here you were
00:11:27
allowed to go outside, right, and get some fresh air. In Australia, you weren't they weren't given that time.
00:11:32
They were stuck in their hotel room or wherever. The whole time they were there,
00:11:36
>> it was full on. But I remember we also had Zoom meet cuz everyone was in in
00:11:40
quarantine at that time. I was in Hamilton. Some people were in in Sydney somewhere. But we would have Zooms. That
00:11:48
Zoom was really popular back then. >> Mhm. >> I have anxiety about that about co
00:11:53
>> So do I, >> dude. >> So do I. If there's ever um an opportunity to do a remote podcast, I
00:11:58
sort of turn it down cuz it just I don't know. I find it it just reminds me of
00:12:02
like a co thing. >> Yeah. Like I' I've my parents are here at the moment and we and I got a Airbnb
00:12:08
in town and I thought it was a threebedroom, but it was a two-bedroom. So it was me, mom and dad. mom and dad
00:12:15
and myself and my sister and I got so claustrophobic and and it remind it took me back to to quarantine time. I was
00:12:22
like I hate this. I hate this. At the time we just survived, you know, as humans we survive.
00:12:26
>> But back then I was like I never want to go through that [ __ ] again. >> Never.
00:12:31
>> Jeez, the podcast is already off to a great start. That's it's some it's some
00:12:34
it's some real um honesty and some vulnerability early on. I promise it's
00:12:38
not going to be all bleak. There's going to be some fun stuff. >> I like bleak. Hit me with bleak.
00:12:42
>> Okay. Okay. Well, I've got another quote from you from that same article in the
00:12:45
press, March 2024. When I went to that place, I saw stuff about myself that I didn't like, but I
00:12:51
don't think that I would have healed properly if I hadn't gone through that
00:12:54
tough time. What was it about yourself that you saw that you didn't like? >> A lot of it had to do with ego.
00:13:03
Um uh yeah, for a long I I I mean I I'll I'll be as honest as my ego uh I lost uh
00:13:14
I lost my ex-wife to ego. >> Um >> you've only been married once.
00:13:20
>> I've only been married once and that was a few years ago. >> But ego ruined that relationship for a
00:13:26
long time. I it was just it was just ego. But also not seeing, not being able to see cuz you see stuff when you're in
00:13:33
when you're when you're when you're that low, which cuz I think the rest of the
00:13:38
you the rest of the world just covers everything. >> I'm not making any sense here. But at
00:13:43
the time, I just didn't see [ __ ] about myself. And when you're that deep in
00:13:47
depression and it's like, oh, okay, there it is. You know, but a lot of it had to do with with my ego.
00:13:55
>> That's some good self-reflection. Yeah, >> I think when we get to our 50s, you can
00:13:59
you can acknledge. >> I can I and I think I've always been honest with with stuff. Even I surprised
00:14:04
myself on that and that the that other podcast and how much it did come out, you know. I think at that time as well,
00:14:10
it need I just needed an outlet. >> So, it surprised me when we started talking and stuff were just coming out
00:14:17
and I said, "Oh, okay." >> It's like pulling a thread of >> Yeah. Yeah. When now I'm in the period
00:14:23
of my life where I'm I'm I'm really good. >> Mhm. you know, work has dried up a
00:14:27
little bit, but that's to expected the the career that I've chosen. >> But other than that, my my kids are
00:14:32
healthy. >> I enjoy life. I love being here. I love living in the States, you know,
00:14:39
>> and um so life is good. Touchwood. >> Yeah. Um so you um your ex-wife, has she
00:14:45
forgiven you or more importantly, have you forgiven yourself? >> I've forgiven myself. Yeah, I did. I
00:14:50
did. Um >> I did. I mean, yeah, I did apologize. I did say to her, "I'm sorry for the way I
00:14:57
was or the way I treated you um very early on uh after we we broke up." Um and we still stay well. I don't keep in
00:15:06
contact as much uh anymore. She actually used to work at up there. Uh what's it
00:15:11
what's the >> Oh, Media Works. >> Media Work. She used to work up there.
00:15:14
>> So, every time I did come up, she doesn't work there anymore, but every
00:15:17
time I do come up, I text and see if she's around for coffee. >> Um but yeah.
00:15:21
>> Oh, that's nice. >> Yeah. Yeah. But she's moved on. She's
00:15:24
better out without me. >> Were you when you say ego, were you unfaithful at the time?
00:15:27
>> Yeah. Yeah, very much so. >> I think you got to cut yourself some
00:15:30
slack. I was I was thinking about this on I went for a run this morning and I was thinking about this. It's like um
00:15:35
your good looks, it's probably a blessing and a curse. Like me. I've I've
00:15:39
never had an issue with that because uh you know what? I don't consider myself
00:15:43
good-looking. It's bizarre. >> Come on. You're not as the hunky actor.
00:15:47
I'm an old guy. I'm an old fart now. No, I mean it it has helped in my career,
00:15:53
but there are days, seriously, there are days like I look at like I at the moment
00:15:58
I've kind of let myself go a little bit cuz since I've been here, all I've eaten
00:16:02
is fish and chips and mints and cheese pie cuz you I can't get them over there.
00:16:06
But I there there are times I I mean I do look at myself and goes, "Oh my god,
00:16:11
seriously, what do people see in that?" M >> but you know there's that there's that
00:16:15
saying I think it's kind of a kind of a punchline that you know a man is only as
00:16:19
faithful as his options and it you peak Robbie Mangvera like there would have been unlimited options it would I'm not
00:16:25
excusing I'm not excusing your poor behavior >> no I'm not excusing but yeah it's
00:16:30
surprising I was surprised by that too >> so what does life look like in LA now
00:16:35
where do you live are you Silver Lake >> I'm near Silver Lake I'm in Ktown career
00:16:39
town >> you enjoy it >> love it surprised me it really surprised me. Um
00:16:46
uh because my my partner I actually met my partner on the show that I did and so
00:16:53
one of the other main reasons for me moving over there was because of it. It was just great timing.
00:16:57
>> Is this the show Rescue High Surf? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So at the time when
00:17:00
she worked it was it was a pilot called Kenoi Road >> for HBO. So that HBO didn't pick it up.
00:17:07
So there was a a lal and then the production shopped it out and that's when Fox came on and then turned it into
00:17:15
Rescue High Surf but I met my current partner on Canoi Road. >> So and we did the long distance things
00:17:22
for 2 years and uh and then 2023 I moved over when um yeah before before 20 yeah before
00:17:32
rescue >> and I love it. I was surprised by that. But I think what it is, why I love it is
00:17:37
because she's taken away the guessing game because I remember flying into LA
00:17:41
so you know the amount of times I have flown into LA and you said it's so [ __ ]
00:17:46
vast. >> It's massive. >> It's massive and it's it's it's it
00:17:50
freaks me out every time. But now I look down go that's home. That's that's home
00:17:54
for me. And it was just recently that I started calling LA home >> because for a long time I just called
00:17:59
>> um uh NZ home. Do you is there a Kiwi contingent there that you >> There is there's uh Frankie Adams. She
00:18:06
lives in Silver Lake. And then there's Ra and Grace Palmer who live in Los. Um that's and that's that's it. And then
00:18:17
I've got another friend Tongen uh Tongen actor Ulie. He lives in the in the valley. So they are that's all I want. I
00:18:26
don't want any more Kiwis in that. Oh, and um um my mate uh Vanessa uh Kada,
00:18:31
she's been there for a few years. She's a st auntie. >> So that's about it really.
00:18:36
>> That's wonderful. >> Yeah. >> All right. Should we go back to the
00:18:39
early years? >> Let's do it. >> Yeah. Should we? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So May 21st, 1972.
00:18:44
>> Yeah. Came into the world. >> So you're born in Wellington. >> Born in Wally.
00:18:48
>> There for 5 years. And then you moved back to Sour. Yeah. >> And then back to New Zealand when you
00:18:53
were about 10. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Why? Dad. >> Okay. >> Uh, dad was offered a job as a bank
00:18:59
manager over there. I think so. I hope I think dad will be watching this. Correct
00:19:04
me, but I'm going to say bank manager. So, we went back. And also, I think God, I should have checked with dad
00:19:10
about this. Um, also, dad had this uh uh had asthma, so it was he was really affected by the climate here. So,
00:19:18
possibly that was one of the reasons we left, but I know that he got a a job back there and he wanted to go home. So,
00:19:24
we all went back. >> M. Wow. Me, Steve, Mickey, and then the twins came later. Yeah. During there,
00:19:32
>> that must have been a weird time. So, you you're born in New Zealand 5 years.
00:19:35
What memories do you have of those first five years? >> My memory Well, cuz I born here,
00:19:41
first language was English. We went over to Sam Moore and my fondest memory of was uh just living in a shack was
00:19:53
basically a shack because what had happened was dad got given a little bit of land um in in Up which is to a place
00:20:00
called Tapur which is what poor's um named after. So there was nothing it was just bush.
00:20:07
So dad built this little shack, but I remember it was just like, you know, um it was just candle and us around,
00:20:15
you know, it was just um this freaking simple shack that dad built just so we can live there. And then throughout the
00:20:21
throughout the years, he just worked on the land and planted uh cocoa, but our Yeah. Yeah. And also uh walking
00:20:30
to school. So we used our house used to be out out the place called Tanapur and we used to walk to the nearest bus stop
00:20:39
was probably about a 40 to 45 minute walk catch the bus go to school come back and then
00:20:47
at it again but when I left there I lost the English and I was fluent in Sour. So
00:20:56
>> yeah. What was that like coming back to New Zealand at 10? That must have been
00:20:58
quite the culture shock. I was teased a lot. But but you know what I do remember was um
00:21:09
when we got off the plane the escalators. I've never seen an escalator before.
00:21:15
And I went I go, "Wow, what is this >> magic staircase? >> It's magic staircase."
00:21:24
I just it took it took me a while to get on it, but once I was on it, it was like
00:21:30
whoa, >> what the hell? >> But I hadn't. So, we came back here. We
00:21:34
spent a little bit of time in Oakuckland. And then we moved down to Wellington, and we stayed with my
00:21:38
cousins >> and we shared the house with them. They had a three-bedroom place, three-bedroom
00:21:43
place, and there was four of them and five of us. So, all the boys about two two of the eldest were in one room, and
00:21:51
then all the rest of the boys would be in one room. and and then mom and dad and one. Yeah. But it was
00:22:00
I the the throughout the time my cousin my actually my best mate as well um was the one that actually slowly taught me
00:22:06
how to speak English kind of thing >> but it came back again because of that
00:22:10
memory thing. >> Muscle memory. >> Yeah. Muscle memory. >> Um and is this when you were embarrassed
00:22:15
about your nose and you wanted like a skinny pangy nose? >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
00:22:20
>> It's terrible. That's really [ __ ] sad. >> That's [ __ ] up. Hey, sorry. Am I
00:22:23
allowed to swear? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But when when when you when you when you hear that or you Yeah.
00:22:29
think back to that, does it does it make you sense >> coming to school? Yeah. Hell yeah.
00:22:33
>> Yeah. >> Hell yeah. Cuz I going to school cuz I was also also getting teased, you know,
00:22:40
and there's I what at the time I didn't think it was racism, but it was. And
00:22:44
then thinking back and go, [ __ ] that is that that is quite full. But I remember
00:22:49
just the kids as I was looking all those Balangi kids and all this perfect pointy
00:22:53
nose and I remember used to be in the mirror just going like this. How do I make my nose that pointy
00:22:59
>> for for for a long time? >> It's sad. >> Yeah. I just And then Yeah.
00:23:05
>> And your your parents are still alive. They're they're in New Zealand at the
00:23:08
moment, but they they're sour based. >> Yeah, they are sore based. Mom and dad
00:23:12
always wanted to go back to Sour when their kids grew up and stuff like that. So they now live in Sammore full-time.
00:23:17
They're currently here at the moment for health reasons. So I uh if if that gets
00:23:23
cleared, they'll go back to >> Samour. >> Uh and uh yeah, at the moment I'm I'm
00:23:30
dealing with the family is dealing with mom's dementia. >> Um >> so that's been tough. That's been tough.
00:23:38
But this time, this time around here, I came back to give my brother uh who lives up in Lee and uh who has been uh
00:23:45
her and um him and his partner have been absolutely fantastic in terms of looking
00:23:48
after mom. But our my hero is my sister who decided to um give up her work just to look after mom and dad full-time. And
00:23:58
it's yeah, it's been a it's been a godsend. >> So, she's been amazing. So, mom and dad
00:24:04
are is here at the moment. He said has had surgery had infection in his prostate. So that's all should be
00:24:10
cleared. So one day clear they go back. But mom at the moment Yeah. We're just
00:24:14
going through that man. It's it's it's tough to see my >> I call her my superhero. She's my
00:24:19
superhero. >> Yeah. I've got that got that written down here. Yeah. So she was Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:23
Tell us about your mom. So she's a cleaner. She was a cleaner. >> She was a cleaner for a very long time.
00:24:26
>> When was the last time you had uh some of her chicken curry? >> A long time really
00:24:31
>> that she cooked cuz she can't remember how to cook it now. It was a very long
00:24:35
time ago I had it probably about um yeah probably go about six years ago, six or seven years ago I last had her.
00:24:44
>> Oh, she really no good now. >> Um she she knows who we are but uh her
00:24:50
long short-term memory is gone. Like you tell her one thing. I mean, you know, you tell her something and she'd be gone
00:24:56
like that. >> How old is she? >> She's young, too. She's >> I'm sorry, Mom. Sorry, Dad. Uh 74. 75.
00:25:03
Yeah, >> that is young on the big SK. >> That is young. Yeah. >> And she's tough too. She's strong and
00:25:09
that's a and that's the the depressing thing is she's still apart from the
00:25:13
arthritis she's yet and keeping she's strong, >> you know, physically stronger. Dad is a
00:25:17
little bit more frail. But he he he he will get there. But yeah, it's just that's that's being
00:25:25
around that has been tough. It's been really really tough. just I mean there
00:25:29
were time like there were there were times that I'll be just sitting there she'll be there and I know she's not
00:25:36
she's not there. M >> so um seeing this woman that was just fearless um funny um caring loving
00:25:49
just all that gone you know I I um I'm I'm very much like my mom and and I was
00:25:56
just watching her just watching TV and I know I you know I know she was lost in there it's just like every time I do
00:26:02
look at her it's just yeah it it breaks my heart but you know, I I'm I'm I'm grateful that
00:26:12
she still knows who I am. She still knows who my brothers are, my sister, dad. Um, you know, so I'm grateful for that.
00:26:21
And I hope, you know, I hope she's that, you know, to the the day she leaves, she
00:26:25
still remembers who we are. >> So, yeah, it's been tough. It's been
00:26:29
tough. And then, you know, even tougher when [ __ ] we went to look at a home, possible home for her. That was first
00:26:35
time I've been in a home. [ __ ] Heartbreaking, man. Just seems >> cuz it represents the loss of
00:26:41
independence. >> Independence. But even the people that were in there, you know, that was just
00:26:45
cuz it was a >> Yeah. You're going there, you're going there to die, aren't you? It's
00:26:49
>> Yeah. And it was just like, oh [ __ ] And I just watching these people just sit
00:26:53
there watching these, you know, people who had lives and just sitting there. That's their day. just sitting there,
00:27:02
you know, and and you know, and the reality is it, you know, >> we they need that, you know, they they
00:27:11
they need that otherwise, but it was just Yeah, it was uh it was definitely it was definitely Yeah, definitely. So,
00:27:19
>> um did you get have you got the chance to have all the conversations with your
00:27:23
mom that you needed to and say the things you needed to while she was still able to comprehend? Um, I mean I've I've
00:27:29
heard you talk about her like on on other podcasts and read some interviews and you speak.
00:27:33
>> I no >> uh I think probably uh probably leading uh probably 2018 was
00:27:44
probably the or 2019 just after 2019 I had a conversation with her and then it just and I also think that um
00:27:53
uh the passing of my bro accelerated that for her. Um, so, >> oh, how could it not?
00:28:00
>> Yeah. So, but to answer your question, it's a really, which is a really good
00:28:04
question. I don't know the last time I had a proper conversation with she understood what I said. You know,
00:28:10
>> it was a long time ago. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Um, or the tears before I I think they
00:28:16
just show how much you care and the impact, which I think is a good thing, right?
00:28:20
>> Yeah. She's my she's she's my hero. She's my absolute hero, you know. Um,
00:28:25
and you know, dad, and it's funny cuz later on I, you know, I', you know, this
00:28:31
dad made some silly mistakes, but I forgiven him for that. And >> and I'm Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Now it's just
00:28:39
like I I can see I've seen my dad in a in a new light now, you know, the the care and
00:28:47
love that I have for him cuz I blamed him for a lot of things which I don't,
00:28:50
you know, without getting into it. >> We don't need to get into the weeds.
00:28:53
Yeah, I've heard I think it was the mandate podcast or another interview where you
00:28:57
>> did he ever hear that? Like you called him a a dreamer. Um and you said there's
00:29:02
a family joke like don't get in the trap and the trap is like a one-on-one conversation cuz
00:29:07
>> my my dad seriously like I who was it >> for a long time like he loves to chat
00:29:13
about things and I >> we all know someone like that. >> Yeah. And I like now I appreciate that.
00:29:19
But I remember my mates would come we know you when I was when when I was a teenager my mates would come around and
00:29:24
I will always say to dude don't don't get caught in this cuz one year once you
00:29:29
get caught mate that's it I can't help you you're on your OWN and few of my mates have been caught and
00:29:37
they'll be give me the go told you told you I walk away from it >> but who was it it was like I caught up
00:29:44
with a good friend of mine last night and dad had written a post the thing is with dad he's so articulate.
00:29:51
He's so articulate. And I think my brother Mickey has got a little bit of dad, you know, he's he's proud of the
00:29:58
fact that he was the only one in his family that went to university and he did. And he he's proud of that. But I
00:30:06
also think he's he's a lot more what I feel bad about now is I wish I'd
00:30:13
listened to him a lot a lot more about the cuz he's got such such knowledge in in his brain which I
00:30:22
now am trying to get him and I think all of us are saying to him, "Dad, you need
00:30:26
to write all that down." So he wants me to buy him a computer, a laptop so he
00:30:30
can buy all that cuz >> he's got this history of our, you know, a knowledge and history of our family
00:30:36
that no one else knows about. >> And I said to him, put that down, you know, put that down. And I never used to
00:30:42
appreciate that, but now I I appreciate him for that. And >> it's just 10 times he's a million times
00:30:49
more articulate than I am than I am. >> But he love, you know, >> that's good. I I think you get to that
00:30:55
point um in life are where you realize that yeah your parents regardless of how awesome or how [ __ ] up they were they
00:31:00
doing the best they could. >> They did. They did. And I Yeah. >> You know your kids in their in their mid
00:31:06
to late 20s now. They probably got some chip on their shoulder about how >> Oh, hell yeah. My son has. He's even
00:31:11
told me. >> I said, "Oh, that's just part of it. Sorry, son. But that's just part of it."
00:31:17
Yeah. >> But yeah, no, I Yeah, I I really appreciate the old man now, you know,
00:31:23
>> and I and that's the one thing I see. We had that someone else is telling me the
00:31:27
thing is as growing up, we had five boys. There was five boys in our family and then my sister came later on. But
00:31:32
during that time, we never went hungry. >> Never. We were always clothed. We had a
00:31:39
roof under. We were never struggling. We I I never saw that. There was always food there. So, so and plus with
00:31:47
everything else. So, I thank I thank my parents for that. I had a good life as a kid, you know.
00:31:55
You know, this [ __ ] happens, but that's with any other family. But >> I I remember looking back and go, you
00:32:01
know what? I never we never struggled. Mom and dad, if I ask for money, mom and dad will always have money for me for
00:32:06
for school and stuff like that. I always there was never a trip I couldn't go
00:32:10
because we couldn't afford it, >> you know. We were always we always had
00:32:13
school uniform, you know, we always fed. So I said and I never kind of realized that until I spoke about it with someone
00:32:22
else the other day, >> you know, and it was actually my mate last night I was talking to and he was
00:32:27
saying, you know, saying, "Man, he your dad is so is very articulate. Like my
00:32:31
dad and my other brother Tanu are very art and my Mickey actually are very very articulate.
00:32:38
>> I missed out on that boat. I also missed I also missed out >> I also missed out on rhythm. I don't
00:32:44
have rhythm. >> I just missed I missed everything. >> You've mentioned your brother Mickey a
00:32:51
few times. Um yeah. >> Yeah. A little sidebar here. So he's in the industry as well. Um he made one of
00:32:56
the greatest movies of 2025 in New Zealand. >> Yep. >> He should have won the award for best
00:33:01
film. >> This is Tina. >> I'm saying it. >> How how do I say it? I'm saying
00:33:05
>> Tina Tina Tina which is mother. >> Yeah. Yeah. about some old music teacher
00:33:09
in Christ Church during the the earthquakes. >> I had I think it was the leader of the
00:33:13
opposition, Chris Hipkins, on the podcast this year. I asked him when the last time he cried was and he said it
00:33:17
was watching that movie. So I I got it on Apple that night and um if you watch that movie and you don't cry, like you
00:33:24
need to get a medical checkup. >> Dude, I've seen it like six times and
00:33:27
every time I cry every time. I remember seeing it for the first time actually. It was me, mom, dad, and my daughter
00:33:33
Sophie. I bled my eyes out and I yeah I am so sorry pardon me so so proud of him
00:33:43
cuz I know also that he has he's had to fight to get to where he is now. I know
00:33:48
for a long time he was in in the uh advertising industry and he worked for a production company for a very long time
00:33:55
and he just bit his time kind of thing and he wanted to create his whole dream was to become a movie a filmmaker
00:34:03
>> and he did that you know but I know the road I know how hard it was for him to
00:34:08
get to where he is now just watching people surpass him and not you know not realizing that dude you're letting other
00:34:17
people surpass a guy that's actually better than these guys. >> So for him to you know the thing is with
00:34:24
Tina it was never expected to get a Aussie release and then when I got Aussie release on
00:34:30
top of that they got a US release. So it you know it weighed way beyond anything
00:34:37
that he he had ever expected. But it was also the the wonderful thing about Tina
00:34:41
is it brought families back to the theater come you know they're struggling to get numbers in there but Tina brought
00:34:47
everyone back in there >> you know how did you feel when you watched it knowing um knowing it was your brother
00:34:54
is the brains behind it but also I suppose on a deeper level that someone like me watching it couldn't see um you
00:35:00
may recognize some of the characters potentially I don't know >> um I I mean I re I I I mean there was a
00:35:08
little bit mom and Annabella's um um character. I mean I I think as I was going to say um PI, but I think
00:35:17
there's in all society there is there's that person in our lives, you know, um
00:35:23
Anabella's character. Um but in terms of anything relating to my me personally,
00:35:31
probably not. Yeah. Yeah. >> I was just Yeah. >> So your introduction to acting Yeah.
00:35:38
you. What did you want to be when you were in secondary school? What did you want to be?
00:35:42
>> Did you want to be a pro rugby player? >> I wanted to be a dancer
00:35:46
>> like for for who? >> I didn't know. >> I'm just trying to think who was um who
00:35:50
would have been a big artist at like MC a dance for MC Hammer. >> No, I never I've got no rhythm. Um do
00:35:56
you know the the it it all started I think it all started when I was uh primary school.
00:36:04
We got up, the seed was um uh planted when we got up. >> Strathmore Primary.
00:36:11
>> Strathmore Primary School. >> And I got up and made people laugh and I
00:36:15
thought, "Oh, this is cool. What's this all about?" And then that's when it's
00:36:19
kind of And then during that period, I was I ended up uh where was I? I was at St. Pat St. Pat's Town in Wellington.
00:36:28
And my drama teacher said, my drama teacher said, "Look, my my cast teammate's looking for two Polynesian
00:36:35
for this this ad." So, me and my mate, me, my mate Null, and uh Henry went to
00:36:40
audition for it. >> Did you Did you listen to that? >> Yeah, I did. I tried to find the ad.
00:36:45
There's a couple of different stories online. Someone said it's an ad for a
00:36:49
national party recruiting new cops. >> Yeah. No, no, no, no, it wasn't. It
00:36:53
wasn't. The one was is um the Labour Party brought this thing about going back to school. Um so that the ad was
00:37:00
all about that. So it was three it was all these students walking down a corridor and each room each room is
00:37:07
possibly your career, you know. So you could be a builder here and then open another door, you could be a plumber
00:37:13
there. So I was one of the the the boys in there. But I remember the the audition
00:37:20
just over. So they what was it on the audition? They said to it, "Okay, well I want you
00:37:25
guys to imagine that you're going down this corridor and every time you see every time a door opens up to a
00:37:30
classroom, you're just like, "Wow, get excited about it." So three of us filmed
00:37:35
us. Soon we started like that. As soon as it happened, it was just like it took over. It's like, "Wow, wow." one night
00:37:43
and my teammates are going WOW like Disney's job desperate to be but I didn't even know
00:37:54
it's just when they said action going this is me yeah wow >> and I remember them on the bus they were
00:38:01
really quiet I said what's wrong with you guys he goes yeah you know >> we didn't even get a chance to audition
00:38:06
cuz someone was always in front of the camera they hugged the whole camera end up getting the ad but that was it I
00:38:11
turned up to see it and I said, "Hey, how do I get more work like this?" Said,
00:38:14
"Get an agent. Look up the yellow uh white pages. Double happy." Went and saw them and my
00:38:21
career started from there. >> Wow. Did you Did your paths cross with Tika? You're a similar age. He would
00:38:26
have been in Wellington at the same time. >> Strip together, >> right?
00:38:28
>> The strip. You >> Oh, the strip. Oh, you're with um Jody Rimmer.
00:38:32
>> Jody Rimmer. Lan Gordon. Who else was there? Yeah. Dave Farney. Um yeah, we crossed paths in the second
00:38:41
season of the strip. He was one of the strippers, >> was he? >> Yeah.
00:38:47
>> I have to dish look it up. >> That's got to be on screen or somewhere
00:38:50
to probably No. No. Um so that's when we cross with me and um mentioning each other. But then we also when the
00:39:00
naked sours would do the Edinburgh festival, the Eden comedy festival um Jermaine, Brett and Tika were there. for
00:39:09
the same time as well. So, we kind of went around supporting each other's acts. So, we've known each Yeah. And
00:39:14
then, you know, working with Jermaine when we did skits way back then for Gibson Group.
00:39:20
>> So, we've known each other for a little bit. They just they're more successful
00:39:24
than some of us. >> Yeah. >> You can't get into his skated community
00:39:28
now. >> Dude, can I tell you a story about Tao? >> Yes, please. >> Super Bowl. One of the Super Bowl. It
00:39:36
was in LA and I was there at the time seeing my girlfriend at the time and we planned
00:39:44
and me me and my girlfriend's planned or we just go to a bar and watch um Super
00:39:47
Bowl. I was staying at this hotel. Get a text from a man. He goes, "Bro, what are
00:39:52
you doing?" "Oh, nothing much. Why? What are you doing for Super Bowl?" I said,
00:39:57
"I was just going to watch at the bar." And he goes, "Do you want tickets?"
00:40:05
I said I show my gift ticket to Super Bowl and he goes, "Uh, yeah, if you're giving
00:40:12
them away." Go, "Sweet. We got tickets for you." He sent me two tickets to
00:40:15
Super Bowl. That's when the Rams won in LA, dude. And these seats were right in
00:40:21
front. So, I got to see um uh Snoop Dogg, um Dr. Dre, all those guys at Halime. It was unreal.
00:40:32
And he had to say, "What a dude." And I said, "Fuck." Super Bowl. I thought I was in
00:40:38
dreamland. I was just like my my girlfriend at the time, what the [ __ ] >> Why did he not Did he have something
00:40:45
else on? >> He had spare tickets. >> Spare tickets. >> Got spare tickets.
00:40:48
>> No, I think I think it was his tickets, >> but his retita had tickets as well. So,
00:40:55
he had two tickets spare. So, it was just like, "Dude, what are you doing?"
00:40:58
It was just that classic. Hey bro, what are you doing? Nothing. You want two tickets? Two tickets in a super bowl.
00:41:03
>> Oh, that's so awesome. >> [ __ ] >> When did you realize When did you
00:41:07
realize it could be a viable career? >> When I did commercials, >> commercials back then paid big big
00:41:14
money. I scored a lotto strike. When the lotto strike first came out, I was the face of it. So, I was this guy that hit
00:41:22
a strike went out. So, um, and I got big money for that. How much? >> I think we're between the thousands. I
00:41:30
think probably for for a kid at school I think of probably about 8 grand or some
00:41:35
[ __ ] And that's and that's a lot. And I thought [ __ ] this is a >> So I never went into it. I mean it's it
00:41:43
was the money thing for me when it first started off. But then as you know as I went on it was just like I started to
00:41:48
appreciate the art. >> Yeah. I've heard you talk about it um just about how much you love theater.
00:41:54
But theater is almost like a hobby or a passion project, but it's the ads and
00:41:57
the other things that pay the bills. >> I first I first my first my first theater was with um a good friend of
00:42:03
mine uh Victor Roger. >> Um I actually did one for who was it? Circa down there, but I don't count that
00:42:11
one. >> Why? Cuz I was just a toen brown guy. They came on, had sex with a white woman, and
00:42:19
then that was it. That was basically it. I came on stage, you know, nothing on, just ear love,
00:42:30
have sex with her, and it goes and see that was me. So, I don't count that one,
00:42:34
but you hunk reputation thing. Has that been good or bad? >> How do I answer that? It's helped. It's
00:42:48
helped. For a long time, I was the guy that get your [ __ ] off. I was the get your [ __ ] off guy for a very long time.
00:42:53
Now I'm old. I said this [ __ ] shirt's staying on. >> This shirt is freaking staying on.
00:43:00
>> Yeah, it's someone else's turn. >> Someone else has too. But but yeah.
00:43:04
>> Um what's the hardest thing about um the acting industry that people outside
00:43:08
don't get to see? I feel like you sort of alluded before with that quote before
00:43:12
about people think you're you're rich or this. >> I mean, put it this way. 2024 I 2024 I
00:43:20
landed uh rescue high surf >> right >> and for so many years just that was the
00:43:26
pinnacle was to get work in US right and then I land that and think okay if this all goes well there'd be a
00:43:34
second season third season fourth season blah blah blah financially that's pretty
00:43:38
good we go we do the first season and then we get cancelled and we don't get again. So,
00:43:47
it's back to the drawing board. It's I'm a little bit used to it now because I'm
00:43:51
a little bit smarter with my money to help with people that are good with money, but it's it's a I have a lovehate
00:43:59
relationship with what I do. I couldn't see myself doing anything else. >> But it like for example, this year I've
00:44:06
done one job, but that's in New Zealand, you know, other than that, nothing else.
00:44:10
So, I've just had to just depend. The whole thing is about saving money, making sure that you can survive another
00:44:16
year, another year. Now it's all about topping up that little >> cup of
00:44:21
>> But it's a [ __ ] It's a It's When it rains, it pours and when it's good, it's
00:44:26
fantastic. But now I'm at that point now where I can sit back and I've got things
00:44:32
that keep me occupied as well. You know, like I love motorcycles. I love riding motorcycles. I've got my friends here um
00:44:39
that I was which is the one of the main reasons I come back here all the time cuz all my close mates are are still
00:44:45
here. >> So it's I've gotten used to it. I've gotten used but it's a shift.
00:44:50
>> It's stressful living. Yeah. >> Oh my god. There's that saying this too
00:44:54
shall pass. And it's it's true. It means bad times will pass but good times will
00:44:57
pass. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, cuz you I mean you know you get to America and
00:45:02
money is ridiculous >> when you do it and then you think okay here we go but then the reality kicks in
00:45:08
again and I'm back to square one again and go trying to get work you know um
00:45:12
the the the one thing I am thankful for is because people know my work here. There's always work here for me you know
00:45:19
and also >> I have mates that are now in the position where they're doing their own
00:45:24
stuff. So they'll just text me go, "Boy, do you want to be on this show without
00:45:27
auditioning?" You know, there's still things that I still I still have to go
00:45:31
through the whole auditioning thing. Um, so it's it's it's never ending,
00:45:36
>> but I think the the the trick is to have things outside of that to keep you
00:45:41
occupied so that doesn't go so that doesn't drive you insane. For me is is
00:45:46
motorcycles, >> right? Yeah. What do you get from motorcycles? >> What is it? Is it the freedom?
00:45:52
>> Freedom. Are you are you are you a loner or do you just have like a like a little
00:45:56
loner part of you that needs to >> I like riding. I like I I like like when
00:46:02
I first took up modus Yeah. I like riding by myself but I've also now got like you
00:46:10
know as you get older and I'm sure it's the same with you. I have a community of
00:46:13
people that I only go to. You know, I've gone to I've I've gone to a part of my
00:46:19
life that I don't need cuz I'm I was a huge people pleaser. >> But now it's part of my life then cuz I
00:46:25
don't need that person in my life. I don't need that person, just that person. And I want to be with that
00:46:30
person till I die. So I've got that community here of men of guys that I ride with and women. And then I got um
00:46:38
there's I don't know whether you know the the Cox's Bay touch that we have. So
00:46:42
this year we had the 20th anniversary >> of same time, same day, rain or shine,
00:46:48
didn't matter where. And that there what started off I was one of the um OGs. And
00:46:56
originally we started touch because in that period of our lives, people were either retiring from rugby or but we
00:47:04
needed something to do. We needed to play touch to earn a beer was that whole thing, you know. But now as we've gotten
00:47:12
older, it's become like a support group for for for for all the boys now. You
00:47:18
know that during the 20 years, you know, we've had wives, brothers, sisters that
00:47:23
have passed. >> So that group there has been always there. It's a support group for all the
00:47:28
boys. You know, we've had people that, you know, [ __ ] had happened to them.
00:47:32
>> We said, "Bro, we're here for you. I know that [ __ ] but we're here for you."
00:47:35
So there's a community of men that just look out for each other and support each
00:47:39
other, which is which has been a godsend for me and a lot of those guys. >> Yeah. That's so powerful. It's so
00:47:45
cathartic cuz Yeah. No one gets to their 50s without some battle scars. >> No. Oh, dude. There's some battle scars
00:47:50
in there. But what what is beautiful now is our sons or the sons of the boys that
00:47:56
are there. They started playing like they was playing when they were there, but now they're taking on that mantle.
00:48:01
But also, I mean, we're trying to encourage them that, you know, keep doing this, bring more people in and
00:48:09
have it as a support group instead of just having a I mean, we do have a few beers and take the piss out of each
00:48:14
other. That's all part of it. >> Yeah. >> But when [ __ ] hits the fan, we are
00:48:19
always there. We're always there for each other. >> Yeah. Well, I suppose like if if if it's
00:48:23
someone that can roast you the hardest, they can also love you the hardest, >> dude. Yep. These guys will roast me.
00:48:29
They're terrible. But I I love it. I love it because I trust them. I know them. I've known them for over 20 years.
00:48:36
>> You know, >> it's a good decade. E, the 50s. I I reckon when I was in my 20s, I think I I
00:48:41
I thought I had it all figured out. And then as you get older, you the older I get to realize the the less I know.
00:48:46
>> Yeah. >> And it's a good I like it. >> Where you What What 50s are you?
00:48:50
>> 52. >> 52. >> What are you? It's >> 53. >> Yeah. Why do you look so much better?
00:48:56
>> It's the mo I use this moisturizer. It's called Forever Youthful.
00:49:01
I'm going to buy that chemistry house. Where is it? >> Warehouse. Warehouse.
00:49:06
>> Yeah. Um, I got some Jeez. There's so much deep stuff here. It's really good,
00:49:11
but I feel like I need a few acting questions in here as well. Um, so Lord of the Rings, that was one of your big
00:49:15
early projects that you were on. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. How what was that experience like?
00:49:19
>> I remember the first I was actually telling who was I was telling my niece
00:49:22
about this. Um, it was me and Nathaniel Lee, another um Polynesian actor, great actor. He lives down in Wellington, but
00:49:30
we were the or uh was it the Urukai? Urukai, I think we were. And we're down
00:49:36
in Wellington. I remember the first time we were on on the chair. I remember we it was like 4:00 we got picked up and
00:49:42
then we were on the chair 4:30 or something or 5:00 and I remember just getting there and I just fell
00:49:49
asleep and they just went woke up about 3 hours later. Didn't even [ __ ] recognize myself. I freaked out
00:49:57
because all the prosthetic and stuff, >> but I um I mean I I only had a small
00:50:04
role in that and but I I do remember we were filming down in the South Island and we me and uh Nathaniel were put up
00:50:14
in this um uh homestead in Alexandra, I think it was. I think it might have been
00:50:20
Alexandra. I swear we turned up so they knew that. So the production booked. They go,
00:50:27
"We've got two actors out staying with you." They got all excited.
00:50:33
We turn up in the van. We open the door. Dude, this woman that owned it was shocked to see two Polynesians. Okay.
00:50:42
She just went, "Oh, hello." Cuz I think she thought that was just like these, you know, these. You
00:50:52
remember is it Siri and Melan is it is it Orlando and there was just these two two
00:50:58
star boys. HEY >> oh welcome welcome. >> But we had it was just me and Nat and
00:51:08
this freaking flash place and then like you know we bottle wine took it down to the pool watch the stars. I mean the spa
00:51:15
we just drank it. They I mean they they were great but I think they were just shocked to see
00:51:21
them color people >> in the South Island people. >> So um did you have anything to do with
00:51:30
Sir Peter Jackson or is the project so big that >> No, actually we did. There was one we
00:51:34
shot in Wellington. It was a warehouse in Wellington and he flew in from the South Island I think filmed because two
00:51:40
of the main characters the the were in that scene. So he flew in and we were in the background.
00:51:47
>> Um I never had anything cuz I was just in the you know I was just in the
00:51:51
background kind of extra. So a lot of the scenes were just with him and the main cast.
00:51:56
>> So that was my only interaction >> with Peter Jackson. Then I think
00:51:59
>> finished that and flew back down to to South. >> Naked some Owens is a a project that's
00:52:05
been another big part of your career. For anyone that's not familiar with Naked Sons, how would you how would you
00:52:09
describe it? >> You're the only one that actually sort of got naked on stage. Get Dave Far
00:52:14
here. >> I love Dave Far. We were doing breakfast radio at the same time and often see him
00:52:19
at Wild Bean at like 5 in the morning. >> Right. >> I was on my way to the edge. He was on
00:52:22
his way to Flavor I think he was at. >> Yeah. Or Mars. >> This isn't a sausage roll day.
00:52:30
>> The naked sours. How would I describe the naked sour? I I know. I mean to to for those that don't
00:52:37
know it was born from the fact that there was very little work for PIs on screen and stage. So the boys created
00:52:45
this you know created nasorn so they can tell their story for for our own people
00:52:51
which is now spread out to you know >> I think that's it. Eh yeah >> yeah it's very How did you get connected
00:52:58
with them? >> Were you the founder or did you get >> No, I wasn't. What? So the original Oh,
00:53:05
>> hey Bubba >> Kanye. The little dog's just woken up. >> Oh,
00:53:08
>> good boy. >> Um, the original the O the the OGs were David Farane, Oscar Kiteley, Shimpali,
00:53:14
and Maronga. >> They were the the the the OG. I came later on um because they had another
00:53:22
show where it needed another a member and that was that was I came on I don't
00:53:27
know what year but I do remember me and Dave were working on um the strip at the
00:53:32
time when he he asked me to be part of the NAS >> and that was that was a few years ago.
00:53:39
>> You guys going to do some more stuff? >> Is it hard to get everyone together?
00:53:42
Funny enough, I mean, if if there's rich people out there that want to fund us,
00:53:48
nice. We cuz we did we did the comedy festival, the latest comedy festival. Um uh so we did Yeah. So that was the
00:53:58
earlier on this year we did that. But we want to do there's a lot of um a lot of
00:54:04
people in LA that like the show and people in Hawaii. So, we want to tour we want to do a tour of either Hawaii or
00:54:11
the US >> um of our last show which was Go Home. Go Home is um Yeah, we did Go Home a few
00:54:20
years ago. But, um >> was it the naked sows that sort of led to Sion's wedding?
00:54:25
>> Yeah. >> One of the one of the one of the greatest and most successful New Zealand
00:54:28
comedies ever. >> Yeah. the late um the late legend John Barnett saw the boys perform
00:54:35
>> and he said to his writer I think it might have been James at the time he and
00:54:39
said we need to do a film with those guys. So and that's how and then James got in contact with Oscar and Sion's
00:54:45
wedding was was born. >> Wow. >> Yeah. >> And then Shortland Street you were on
00:54:50
that for a couple of years. Um Dr. Maxwell Aia >> Aia. Yeah. How was that? Like that must have
00:54:56
been good getting a getting a regular steady paycheck for a couple of years or >> those three years I did that.
00:55:01
>> Did you a steep learning curve as well like doing that much acting >> and of course
00:55:05
>> but I've never been in that environment before where this is you know multi
00:55:09
camps it's like one here one there one there. So it's almost like performing on
00:55:12
stage so I never got used um I mean that was that was a new world for me that was
00:55:18
fast fast turnaround TV for a long time. It's funny because I was I was a doctor.
00:55:24
I think I was the first Polynesian doctor on that show. So, I had all these medical terms I heaps, man. And I just
00:55:31
couldn't get them out. So, I I used to go to the writers and I said to them,
00:55:36
"Hey, can you seriously if we're going to finish the day, ease off of the
00:55:40
medical terms? Can't I just say neuropen parac can't I just say that without the
00:55:48
actual medical term?" And they said, "Oh, Robbie, you're so funny." No, but
00:55:56
um >> was it enjoyable? I enjoyed it. >> It was enjoy. You know, the thing is the
00:55:59
thing is about Shortland Street is you have got a steady income for a year, you know, and then you negotiate the the the
00:56:06
contract again. But I always say to myself, when I get bored of this, I'm gone. So after the third year, I got
00:56:14
bored and I left. M >> um and there I mean the un see Shortland Street can be also uh not no I won't say
00:56:24
trap but there's >> it's that consistent income that golden that got yeah
00:56:30
>> yes yeah so which is which is why I think a lot of people stay stay behind
00:56:35
but I for me it was just like no once I'm done I'm out >> and then Wentworth came along and
00:56:42
>> what how come you okay yes so Wentworth um Australian prison in the show um set
00:56:47
in Melbourne um eight seasons 100 episodes as Will Jackson. Why? How come you got bored of Shortland Street and
00:56:52
you didn't get bored of Wentworth? >> That's a big stint on one show.
00:56:55
>> Two different shows. >> Two different shows in terms of you know Sha Street Soap.
00:57:01
>> Wentworth I mean you know it's in terms of drama and story it's it's next level
00:57:06
but that's you know that's where they they they kind of sat um apart from the
00:57:10
last season of um Wentworth. Loved it. Loved it. You know, it was the first show that challenged me as an actor.
00:57:18
There was one season there that was Yeah. two seasons there where I really really enjoyed because it was focused on
00:57:23
on on Will. >> But um >> is that is that show bigger in Australia or NZ?
00:57:28
>> It's huge around the world, dude. I'm doing a Wentworth Con still exists. They
00:57:32
have Wentworth Con in America, uh Canada, UK, and it's still going to this day. There's still fans out there that
00:57:40
are still, you know, >> where's the where's the weirdest place I went where fan has um hit you up?
00:57:47
>> I had one lady turn up in a wedding dress and said, "I'm here to marry you,
00:57:53
Will." It freaked the [ __ ] out of me. I mean, I got to know her. I mean, I know she was
00:58:00
she was she was joking and you know, I got to know her. She was lovely, but it was like just complete wedding dress and
00:58:06
said, "I'm here to marry you." I said, But they're you know what I I'm not
00:58:10
going to give there there are they are intense. >> They are very intense that our fans but
00:58:17
loyal to the >> to the bone they still goes. >> I'm doing one in Sydney. I'm doing one
00:58:25
in Sydney next year in February. It's I mean it's >> and um >> yeah.
00:58:30
>> What acting goals do you still have if any? Is it a career where where you can
00:58:34
have goals or are you sort of at the mercy of >> for a long time I just wanted to do
00:58:38
acting thing and achieve that? >> Um I that's still my goal but I think
00:58:44
I've I want to probably explore behind the camera either producing >> um I think producing probably I'd want
00:58:52
to get stuck into not directing. >> I don't think I'd be a good director.
00:58:56
>> What's the difference? >> Well the director um it's on set. He's
00:59:00
the one that control. He's the one that tells the story on set producer. I there's all sorts of producers. There's
00:59:06
the guy that looks for the money and there's a guy that looks for >> um the talent kind of thing. So there's
00:59:11
all sorts of um you know limbs when it comes to producing. I just want to learn how it all works behind the scene cuz
00:59:18
I'm getting also getting to that period of my career that you know there's not
00:59:21
much work for me around. So I need to produce my own stuff which is a lot of what people back in US are doing. You
00:59:28
know >> guys like Ben Affleck they've got their own production company. So then they can
00:59:31
work. So get the work, >> create the work, their own work. >> Is it glaringly obvious how much the
00:59:36
work dries up >> as you age >> or is it just the sort of roles like you
00:59:44
go from being the hunk to >> Yeah. Well, I think I at the moment there was one that I auditioned where I
00:59:49
wanted to get an audition for asked for an audition but I which I think I'm falling in. I was either too young
00:59:56
or too old. So, I'm now in that gap as he's Yeah, he's No man's land. Yeah. No
01:00:02
man's land at the moment. So, I need to be 60 before I can get the roles. >> The dad rolls.
01:00:06
>> Yeah, the dad rolls. I mean, I'm I'm still I'm getting the dad rolls at the
01:00:09
moment, but >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Um, how comfortable are you um talking
01:00:16
talking about your brother, reflecting about your brother? Pua poos. >> Poos.
01:00:21
>> Yeah. >> Is it hard to talk about? Um, I mean there are things that I I'm happy
01:00:28
to talk about, but there's also things um that I don't want to tap into.
01:00:35
>> Yeah. >> Um, for me, I mean, I think for Yeah. Yeah. Ask me questions about that.
01:00:42
>> Okay. Um, yeah. May 11, 2019. >> Mhm. >> What are you What are your memories of
01:00:48
that day? Uh, I was at home 3:00 in the morning. I get a call from B twin, didn't answer it. Then he called again,
01:01:03
didn't answer it. Third time I answered it and he was Tana was on the on the
01:01:09
phone saying, "Hey." Uh, and he said, "Yep, um, Pooh's just passed.
01:01:16
didn't didn't register that. I said, "What?" I said, "Poor poor passed away." I went,
01:01:23
"What the fuck?" So, I didn't I didn't really hit me until later on. So, what had happened
01:01:30
was I it it it I I hung up. I tried to call my brother just to let him know, Mix, let him know he wasn't
01:01:40
answering his phone. So, I got in the car and drove to his place, knocked on the door, and I told
01:01:48
him, and I hung out there for a little bit. Then I went back home, and that's
01:01:53
when it hit. Um, I was just like, yeah, in my room, uncontrollable emotion. It's just like, yeah, it really
01:02:03
hit everybody. I was in on the floor pulling my eyes just like angry. Just angry at what had happened. So, yeah.
01:02:13
because I don't think anyone can I mean there's a there's a lot of people
01:02:16
that'll be um listening to this or watching this whose lives have been um impacted by um a suicide but I don't
01:02:22
think there's anything that can prepare you for that sort of level of shock and
01:02:26
grief and >> no >> everything and there was um oh man there was a a quote from you I saw this in um
01:02:32
an article um you talk about connecting with your mom and she was wailing and saying I was supposed to go first
01:02:39
>> yeah that's when we bought Paul's body uh to uh my brother's house, you know,
01:02:45
but yeah, when his body arrived at my brother's house, he was she was just that was hard to Yeah, that was tough.
01:02:53
Yeah. As she w Yeah, she was walking in with him and it was just like, it should
01:02:56
be me. >> It should be me. It's not you. >> You mentioned earlier that you think
01:03:01
that um losing a son sort of accelerated her into how could it not? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
01:03:07
>> I mean, how could it not have an impact? It's like it's terrible. Um, do you
01:03:13
remember your last conversation with him? How close were you guys? Was it you just I'm just thinking of me and me and
01:03:18
my brother. He lives in Perth. We can go for months without speaking to each other, but the the love is still there
01:03:23
or we Yeah, we text every few weeks. Were you like um were you close close? Like
01:03:27
>> I was close with Poose. >> Yeah, I was close. Poo had different relationship with all his bros. But I
01:03:33
our rel uh our our relationship was because I he started I took up writing. He took up writing. I
01:03:43
took up acting. He started to take up acting. So he kind of followed my path and he was always proud to say that. Um
01:03:51
yeah. So our our connection was through the one one he was my little bro and two
01:03:58
is because of the industry that we decided to to to um you know take on >> um I don't remember the last
01:04:06
conversation I I did have with him but uh >> well you're not expecting it to be
01:04:13
something poant or profound are you? Because it's just a call with your bro.
01:04:17
>> Yeah. Well it's like your question before about mom. When was the last
01:04:19
conversation you had with your mom >> that she understood? I don't know.
01:04:24
>> And that's I suppose that's the other thing as well when it's taking the
01:04:30
one making that effort to get in contact with the the people that you love because you just don't know now,
01:04:35
>> you know. >> Um but yeah, that was tough. That was tough. I mean, I'm the the the the the
01:04:41
shitty thing about um me now is, you know, as the years have gone on, you know, I do I do remember this. There are
01:04:53
certain songs that I that reminds me of him. Um but I don't it it doesn't enter my mind
01:05:00
as much anymore like it used to. And that's the [ __ ] up thing about, you know, our lives, you know.
01:05:07
But we still we still um um you know we still celebrate him on the 19th of May. >> So it'll be coming up to 7 years I
01:05:15
think. Yeah. >> Did you like did you think he was capable of taking his own life?
01:05:19
>> I had no idea. >> No. >> No idea at all. >> I knew he had demons, but I didn't know
01:05:26
how dark it is. But I also think the person he was with at the time did not help
01:05:32
>> him. um he wasn't the right she wasn't the right person for poor at that time.
01:05:39
>> Um personally I think that probably contributed to why he took you know
01:05:43
>> but I think he also had deep demons that he needed to >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Show me show me a person that that
01:05:51
doesn't have demons or flaws and uh >> I mean it doesn't it doesn't exist.
01:05:55
>> Yeah. >> Um Yeah. People are very quick to judge though, aren't they?
01:06:00
>> Dude, it's shocking. >> We had to Oh man. And I mean, I've never
01:06:03
spoken about it, but luckily I've got two mate I've got two mates, good two mates that will kind of
01:06:12
guided me through that whole [ __ ] with with media. Um, and basically they said,
01:06:19
"Look, don't add any more fuel to the fire. >> Just let it go. It'll be there for a
01:06:25
week and go." But, um, the people that really pissed me off with the Herald,
01:06:29
New Zealand Herald, really pissed me off. Um, there was one reporter there. It was just like just going for it.
01:06:35
>> And I was saying to myself, dude, my bro took his life. How much what? That's the
01:06:40
worst. That's the ultimate punishment. >> But they kept on bringing it up and
01:06:44
bringing it up and, you know, and we just we kept quiet, >> you know, we were told just to keep
01:06:51
quiet. They don't add any more fuel to that fire. >> So, yeah. I don't have a
01:06:57
nice thing to say about the New Zealand Herald. >> Yeah. So you're never going to be [ __ ] with
01:07:02
them again. >> No podcast. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's the ultimate
01:07:08
price, isn't it? >> Yeah. >> That's the thing. That's the That blew
01:07:12
my mind was like this B just took his life. What else do you want? >> You still want to [ __ ] Anyway.
01:07:18
>> Yeah. Um Yeah. So the the demons you're talking about is domestic violence
01:07:22
related, which which isn't isn't pretty, but you know it. Yeah. And I don't want
01:07:27
to minimize it, but it's like it's not you're not you're not going to get
01:07:30
capital punishment for it, which is the the penalty that he paid. >> Um Yeah. Is it frustrating for you that
01:07:36
you you know you could have helped him find a way through this? You couldn't
01:07:39
help Yeah. Yeah. >> I did not know. >> But if he picked up the phone and told
01:07:46
you, you'd be like, "Bro, this is not the end of the world. We can we >> Yeah. Well, the thing is Well, the thing
01:07:50
is with with Pooh, he had people that could confide on, >> but even you know, they didn't know about it
01:07:59
either, you know, and I mean, it's one of those things you look back and goes,
01:08:02
"Oh [ __ ] that that's a sign right there. Maybe he was trying to reach out
01:08:05
there." No one knew. >> Mhm. >> You know, >> where's a zoo? Have you got a zoo?
01:08:12
>> I have. >> Yeah. Is that >> He travels He's in LA at the moment,
01:08:15
>> so all of us have got one. >> But he travels with me everywhere I go.
01:08:20
He traveled with me in Hawaii. Uh, but now that I've got a, you know, my home
01:08:25
is there, he he just stay there when I'm traveling. He's always with me.
01:08:30
>> Um, he had a daughter from a previous relationship. J How's Jasmine now?
01:08:37
>> Sorry, Josie. 13. >> Oh, Uncle Rob. 13. >> 14. 14. >> Yeah. I don't know how old my nieces and
01:08:44
nephews are either, but Yeah. Like, do is there anything you do to keep her dad's memory alive? Like, what do you
01:08:50
>> stories you tell about him? No, no, because um Jazz's mother is phenomenal
01:08:55
and um um Jazz's mother's um uh husband, they're phenomenal with her
01:09:02
>> and uh she she knows she's I mean she's old enough to to to figure it out. So
01:09:07
she always um yeah, she has Yeah. >> Yeah, she knows she knows, you know, when that time comes around, she does
01:09:15
have memory of of her father. But >> I've got a a quote from you from your
01:09:20
your Instagram. Um, it's been a year since my beloved brother Pu took his life. There is not a single day that I
01:09:26
don't think of him. He's with me. I hold his ashes. Music sets me off. Songs he
01:09:30
loved. Love songs usually. Um, love songs usually. And grieving is just part of our lives now. Poor wasn't perfect,
01:09:37
but he tried. [ __ ] that's emotional. >> E. Yeah. >> Yeah. It's tough.
01:09:47
How how long was it before you could um like we've talked about him for maybe
01:09:51
five or seven minutes here. How long was it before you could like talk about him
01:09:55
at all without getting emotional? >> I've I've always I've always spoken
01:09:58
about him. I mean, there were things that I didn't want to talk about, but I've always I've always been open like
01:10:04
that with with his passing. Um and um so yeah, and and that was part of my healing as well was being open.
01:10:14
>> Mhm. um which has helped me a lot. But yeah, I've always been open about I mean I
01:10:20
think you know the stuff with the her that was the first time I've ever seen
01:10:23
anything about that. >> But I know you know they I mean they they [ __ ] pissed me off. They really
01:10:31
pissed there's one reporter there. She really pissed me off. >> So >> yeah. Yeah. It's clickbait, isn't it?
01:10:37
>> Oh, [ __ ] you. Oh 100%. That's and and unfortunately that's the thing. Yeah.
01:10:42
That's what societyy's lives on. Now, um I do but I always I always the last time
01:10:49
I did speak I had a good chat with him was when I finished in Hawaii. I um before the job actually started, I
01:11:00
actually I was fortunate enough to have a place right by the beach. Um so the beach was my backyard and I remember
01:11:06
going in the water and say, "We're here. This is us. We're here." And when I
01:11:10
finished I went for a swim. It was [ __ ] pissing down and I went and uh and I said we did it. We did it. Had a
01:11:17
bit of had a had a cry then packed my stuff and then back to LA. So the my journey now and and for a lot of for a
01:11:25
lot of his family and close friends it's for him. Um yeah because I personally
01:11:32
think if he was around he'd be killing it in LA. I Pa was phenomenal. who was a
01:11:39
phenomenal performer. >> In what way? >> Actor. >> How was he different to you?
01:11:44
>> Well, one, he could act. Two, >> he was I think I actually think he was a
01:11:50
little bit better than me. Um, and he also he just um he could move. That boy could move. He
01:11:56
was a true performer, you know. He had everything. He had all the tools. Could sing, you know, could dance, could act,
01:12:05
>> and he had a range as well. So >> yeah, >> the way you're able to talk about him
01:12:10
now, six, seven years on, um it says to me that it does get easier over time. >> It does get easier.
01:12:15
>> For anyone that's listening to this that's in the like the trenches at the
01:12:18
moment, like in the first year or whatever, um yeah, what what would your message to them be about grief?
01:12:23
>> About grief, it's do they um from my personal um for me personally in in
01:12:30
terms of me getting over that? Well, I did the work as well. I had a I saw someone about it. I had a regular I had
01:12:37
regular sessions with with that um with her that helped. Um me I was always open
01:12:42
about it you know I never kind of suppressed anything and I felt that's how I help I healed. Um and also cliche
01:12:49
as this may sound just have the people that have someone around that you can trust that you can talk to
01:12:55
>> and you don't have to that the the one thing about grief is people think they
01:12:59
have to say something to make it better. Now just sit there >> just sit there and be with that person.
01:13:04
That's that's that's what that's what I would say and let them you know let them
01:13:08
talk. >> Are they are they tools that you got from like observation and learnings or
01:13:13
they got from therapy or what what did you get from therapy >> was just being able to talk about
01:13:19
everything? Why you know what could I have done? >> Why didn't I see it? All that cuz there
01:13:26
was a lot of blame as well. I wasn't there for my bro um why didn't he come
01:13:31
to me kind of thing. And then just dealing with how to live continue life without without him
01:13:39
>> you know the possibility that you know I might do that you know all those things.
01:13:45
>> Yeah. You Yeah. I had a friend that took his own life in quite a violent fashion
01:13:49
and this guy this guy was um life of the party. >> Yeah. >> If there's a 2020 cricket match on he's
01:13:57
the guy that you'd see on TV on the big screen. He's that guy wearing the two
01:14:00
shirt trying to get the one-handed catch. And when when the when when he did this, I thought, [ __ ] if he's
01:14:06
capable of this, then am I? >> Yeah. >> But then is that a mask? >> What what being the life of the C? Cuz
01:14:12
Poo was Yeah. >> Is that a mask? >> Yeah. >> But you you can't pick You don't pick it
01:14:16
up. You don't know. Did you pick it up? >> Absolutely not. >> Yeah.
01:14:19
>> No clue. >> So it does get easier. >> Does get easier. >> Does get I mean songs for me, his song,
01:14:27
the his favorite songs still get me. >> What are they? It's usually Babyface or
01:14:32
anything by Baby Face or Boys to Men by his songs. >> Sh. They've got um one song like a Blo
01:14:39
one called um Water Runs Dry. >> Who's that? >> Boys to Men. >> Yeah.
01:14:43
>> Let's not wait till the water runs dry. Oh my god. Does that set you off?
01:14:47
>> Used to. Not anymore. I smile now. >> And when I hear the songs like
01:14:52
>> Yeah. Earlier on I used to I used to you know I used to cry but now I I I smile
01:14:58
at that now. It does get easier, but you've also got to do the work. >> Yeah.
01:15:02
>> And it's not one of those thing. I Yeah. >> Oh, that's encouraging.
01:15:06
>> Yeah. >> That's inspirational. Do you do you What do you think happens when you die?
01:15:11
>> Is there an afterlife? Like do you I suppose what I'm asking is do you ever
01:15:14
do you ever feel his presence? >> Yeah. How 100%. A lot of us do. >> I think during TR as well, his presence
01:15:21
was there for everyone. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. um for the actors and also you know we part of the reasons why part
01:15:29
of the motivation for Mickey was for poor >> for that film and I don't know whether
01:15:33
you see in the credits in the end there to our loving brother poor >> mons
01:15:38
>> so and he was present and and I know uh the actors were in it as well they felt
01:15:42
him without his presence so he's always around >> but in terms of asking your question
01:15:48
what happens when I die >> I love the whole I'm not a religious ious person I think probably an atheist
01:15:56
if anything >> but I what I do believe which I'm recently believed is you know uh tangor
01:16:05
which is something with most with most Pacific island like in art there's a certain point like brianga that's where
01:16:12
the spirits go back into the water in Hawaii is the same thing tonga samour that's where I that's that's where I
01:16:20
want to go that's my belief is where I'm going to go back to >> you you know, join my ancestors and
01:16:25
stuff. >> Yeah. You feel poo around though? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah.
01:16:32
>> Do you talk to him? >> Used to. >> Yeah. I don't talk to him as much
01:16:36
anymore. Um but um I do I do acknowledge him >> when when I when when I when when I feel
01:16:47
him feel him around. I suppose any any family that goes through like a a shocking grief like this has their their
01:16:53
own way of dealing with them. There's no right or wrong. But how do how do the
01:16:55
manga do it? Like do you when you have a family get together is it sort of like the elephant in the room has
01:17:01
>> No, it's not that. No, it's I think all my bros kind of had their different ways
01:17:05
of dealing with it. I never questioned it cuz that's them. >> But I was always open, you know. So
01:17:13
yeah, everyone did. Um, my my my sister was probably a little bit similar to me in terms of being open about it.
01:17:20
>> But my my other bros, you know, they just dealt with it in their own way, you
01:17:24
know, >> and I never question that kind of things. So, okay, that if that works for
01:17:29
you, great. >> I'm not going to say, "Hey, maybe open up and do this and that." It's like like
01:17:34
>> I'll let you guys do that. You know, >> thanks for sharing this stuff.
01:17:39
>> Yeah. Sweet. >> Is is it easy enough for you to share or >> It's easier now. It's easier now. But
01:17:49
I still I mean the shitty thing is it happens more regularly now. >> That's a shitty thing. I just don't
01:17:58
think that people are it's just yeah what I hear is just simple thing is breaking up.
01:18:08
>> You know people are taking their lives. And I just don't think people out there
01:18:12
are prepped enough or know or have that support. I don't know what it is, but I
01:18:16
hear whether that's a media where social media is more accessible now, but I hear it a lot and it's it saddens me
01:18:24
now kind of thing. >> Yeah. Cuz it's a like it's a very permanent solution to what is always a
01:18:30
temporary problem. >> Yeah. Yeah. It seems to be the first thing what I hear seems to be that
01:18:36
that's the first thing. The first thing I'm going to do is just I'm going to do
01:18:38
that. >> If I can't deal with what is happening, I'm going to do that.
01:18:42
>> I I don't want to be here. Boom. Gone. >> Yeah. >> And it saddens me that those pe that
01:18:47
they don't have the support or they haven't, you know, done. I don't know. I
01:18:54
don't It just sadden me. It saddens me. It saddens me that that's their out.
01:18:57
>> Yeah. It's seen as a viable option. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. It should be off
01:19:01
>> and it's common. It's more common now. >> How's how's your mental health been? I
01:19:05
know we've talked a bit about therapy. Good. We talked about your rough patch
01:19:08
and actually maybe the stuff that you were going with postco and you know which we talked about at the beginning.
01:19:15
Maybe it was like a whole lot of strands like a co >> I think I need brother
01:19:19
>> I think I need I think the university has weird ways of telling you the change
01:19:25
you but I think I one I needed to go through that. definitely need to go through that. And because I I mean I'
01:19:34
I'd hate to think what would happen if I hadn't gone through it, but it was just
01:19:38
a way of the universe saying, "Hey, you know, you need to open up your eyes or
01:19:42
what it's actually the problem that you're the problem with you." >> Um, but to answer your question, me, I'm
01:19:49
I'm great. >> I'm in a good place at the moment. You know, we've got someone that cares for
01:19:54
me and my my kids, you know, love my kids. M >> and and they're good, they're healthy.
01:20:01
I've got a, as I spoke before, a community of people that I'll always I want to be around,
01:20:07
>> you know? >> Have you um Yeah, you mentioned you touch rugby lads um before. Have you
01:20:11
have you always been good at the sort of vulnerability piece and talking like openly about crunchy stuff or is this
01:20:17
something that's sort of come recently? >> I think it's something that came
01:20:20
recently with um I don't know I was going to be so open about stuff until and it Yeah.
01:20:29
It was weird because it just came out. That last podcast that I did, it just came out and I don't know. It I didn't
01:20:36
think about it. It was just I was just like, "Yeah, you ask me a question, this
01:20:39
is my answer. I ain't going to hold anything back." >> So, I don't know. Possibly.
01:20:44
>> It's um it's a very liberating space to play in a when you take the guard rails
01:20:48
off and you're not you're not you're not selfensoring. You're just speaking your
01:20:52
truth. >> Yeah. Yeah. But I've also got mates, you know, I've got mates that within that
01:20:56
touch community that I can talk to about that, >> you know, that are open to having that
01:21:03
sort of conversation. Um, and uh same with you, you know, with my writing mates, you know, um I we can
01:21:11
have those conversation, open conversation. And I think being around people that have been open, maybe I'm
01:21:17
just drawn to that. I'm drawn to those people that are open about what how they
01:21:20
feel. >> Yeah, I'm the same. You got friends that you talk, you know, you can talk to and
01:21:24
friends that you just want to get pissed with. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
01:21:26
>> And they're both fine. There's a there's a space for all of them.
01:21:28
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Do you like who you are? >> Do I?
01:21:37
>> You just scrunch your face up. >> No, because I've had because I
01:21:41
initially, if you would have asked me that question a few years ago, I said no. >> But I'm the anti thinking
01:21:47
>> Yeah. Yeah, I do. >> Why would you have said no a few years ago? You and I have sort of known each other
01:21:53
just just sort of casually like little conversations here and there for maybe 20 years. You've always been just
01:21:58
charming, funny, nice, charismatic, >> and a a good man. I'd say a good man,
01:22:04
>> but they were never an [ __ ] >> Have I been an [ __ ] >> Never.
01:22:08
>> I can be an [ __ ] I'm a Taurus. I'm stubborn as [ __ ] man. >> But everyone can be an [ __ ] Push the
01:22:16
right button. >> No, I'm I'm But to answer your question, no, I am. I'm I'm I'm I'm happy with
01:22:20
myself. I'm and and and I like I like who I am >> now. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
01:22:26
>> What are you still working on >> as a man? >> Nothing. >> Nothing. Yeah. I don't know.
01:22:36
>> I will tell you if I do, but at the moment there's nothing. There's nothing
01:22:40
that I need to Maybe there is. I don't know. >> Your your definition of success, how's
01:22:45
that changed over the years? My definition of success would it's hard to say. It's hard with with what I do.
01:22:58
>> I would think my success would be how I am as a father. >> I that would be a success for me.
01:23:10
>> Is how I've brought up my kids and how they are now as human beings. and
01:23:17
>> that would be a success. I wouldn't say I'm not I wouldn't say I don't think I'm
01:23:22
at that point on my career where I'm saying I am successful. I it's still a
01:23:25
work in progress, >> but in terms of um being a dad and being the the work that I've done. Um I've
01:23:33
I've s I've succeeded in that. I mean, there's still things to be done, but
01:23:37
>> yeah, I don't I would successful for me would be being a good dad. >> Yeah. So, you you've got two both in
01:23:43
their 20s. They still both talk to you at the moment? >> Yeah, they do. >> Yeah, 100%.
01:23:48
>> My my more more my daughter more than my son, but my son he rings me. He rings me
01:23:52
now. >> But >> what do you mean now? >> I used I never used to get calls from
01:23:56
him. I used to call him all the time, but now he's he's amazing. He we have we
01:24:00
actually have really good conversation like we we would talk for an hour and u but my daughter Yeah. My daughter always
01:24:07
rings or Yeah. Um, yeah, I suppose that's the reflective of the seasons of life,
01:24:13
right? Like there's periods where you need your but that seems like the palangi way as well. Yeah. Like you
01:24:18
know, get to 18, 19, fly the coupe, ignore your for a few years. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
01:24:23
>> Doesn't seem like the Samo way. >> There was a there was a time that my I
01:24:26
love him, but you know, you always used to my son would just call me. I knew what he'd be calling for to ask for
01:24:31
money. >> That was the only time. But now that's changed. He's like, he just calls me
01:24:37
like, "Oh, M's off to work, Dad." >> Like, a bit of a catch up.
01:24:42
>> But, um, >> did did you did they miss out on having you around much as as little kids
01:24:47
because you were focused on your career goals? >> There there's only so many hours in the
01:24:51
day, you know what I mean? >> Yeah. Cuz I I always remember cuz me and her me and their mom split up very early
01:24:59
and our main focus was our babies. M. >> So there was never. So I remember
01:25:04
everything was split down the middle. I would have my stuff, she would have our stuff. Um, school uh fe uh school fees
01:25:11
split down the middle. Anything. And to this day we're we're great mates.
01:25:16
Um um their mom. Um yep. There were times that I had to I was down in Wellington for work and that's when
01:25:24
their mom had been um uh really supportive of if I had to go for work I would put more a little bit more money
01:25:30
in their account just to balance it out. But um their mom Alice had been amazing
01:25:36
with with with with my with with when it comes to my work cuz >> um Yeah. >> Yeah. So she's not the one you were
01:25:45
married to I think. Yeah. It's the one you're married to. That's um You met her
01:25:49
when you were a receptionist at Sachi. >> Sachi. >> Yes, I did. Yeah.
01:25:53
>> Hot receptionist. >> Well, I was a receptionist at Sachi's down in Wellington. It was two guys
01:26:02
>> and it was me and another guy named Semi. And it was two, you know, I think
01:26:06
in the advertising world back then, it was just like these two Polynesian boys. when they came into their reception like
01:26:11
we were famous down in Wellington for our reception cuz they would come in, we would have the music or playing the
01:26:17
guitar, you know, it was never that prof we were professional, but the clients used to love and appreciate that cuz you
01:26:23
come in and there's two big SOUR >> sit down. Yeah, they were really and I
01:26:32
said, oh shame, what's this? Oh, advertising agency. So we we we had a reputation of being
01:26:39
yeah amazing down there and we had fun as well. You know they they let us you know they let us just be do our
01:26:46
thing and the clients used to love that you know they come in because and we would know the clients by by name and
01:26:52
then when I moved to Oakland I transferred to the Oakland one and I did the same thing but it wasn't with my
01:26:57
>> with my mate semi >> but she walked in and that was it. >> Yeah. So yeah that's the only time
01:27:03
you've been married. Yeah. Um, would you get married again? What are your thoughts on that?
01:27:08
>> Probably. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> If it was important to the other person.
01:27:12
>> If it was important to the other person. I'm I'm not bothered either way,
01:27:15
>> but that's the position I'm in. >> Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
01:27:19
>> It sucks. Say like these things really take they they take it out of you and
01:27:22
you feel like a failure and Yeah. There's like guilt, regret, shame, I guess, all that sort of stuff that goes
01:27:28
along with it. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> No, I'd be Yeah, I'd marry again.
01:27:31
>> Mhm. >> Yeah. Would you? >> Yeah. If it was Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. Not not for myself. I feel like
01:27:38
I've done that. >> I've done it, too. Like you. Yeah. I've done it. I've done it. I had an amazing
01:27:42
time. But yeah. >> Um, what kind of legacy matters to you the most as an actor, a father, a man?
01:27:47
Is it something you think about at all? >> No, not really. >> No, I don't.
01:27:53
>> They just you puts a lot of pressure on yourself to to leave a legacy behind. I
01:27:57
I mean, if I was to answer the question again, it be being a dad, >> being an amazing dad. the impact you
01:28:02
make on their lives. And [ __ ] the next I not that I want to accelerate this or
01:28:07
put your kids under any pressure, but I suppose the grandparent uh piece will be
01:28:10
next. >> You be a granddad. Um if you if any grandkids you have happen to listen to
01:28:15
this episode one day. Um yeah, what would you like them to hear? >> What would the What would you like them
01:28:22
to take away from their granddad? Um, I I I would just just say to my grandkids that I, you know, I did the
01:28:31
best I can >> with your parents and um and I think I did okay. >> Um,
01:28:39
and just don't be [ __ ] >> If that was a message from your great to you, would you have listened to it?
01:28:48
>> Oh, hell yeah. >> No, you wouldn't. >> I would. >> No, you wouldn't.
01:28:51
>> They wouldn't listen. No, there's that saying that youth is wasted on the young.
01:28:57
>> Yeah. >> I think you need to learn the learn the lessons when your time's right.
01:29:01
>> Yeah. >> No, just be nice. Just be good people. Just be good people.
01:29:05
>> What brings you peace these days? >> My own company. >> Uh >> yeah, you create a bit of solitude.
01:29:12
That's why I wonder about the motorbike thing before. >> Yeah, it's a little bit of that as well
01:29:16
in with motorbikes. But I don't cuz I think I've been alone for not alone. Not
01:29:22
not that I choose to be alone, but because of the the line of work that I do. I'm always, you know, I'm either
01:29:26
here or somewhere else, and I'm by myself. >> I've gotten used to being I'm being I'm
01:29:31
comfortable being with with myself >> being I I crave that. I crave then um my
01:29:39
time. >> That's just the dogs. >> I love it. >> Yeah. Um yeah, I'm I'm the same. Like
01:29:45
I've got like a >> It's an age I reckon it's an age thing. Do you re thing
01:29:48
>> potentially? Yeah. I've got a very small social battery like and it gets gets
01:29:51
charged up very easily. >> Yeah. >> And then I'm fine. Just leave me the
01:29:56
[ __ ] alone. >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm like that as well. >> Yeah. >> When I had my
01:30:00
>> lot a lot of people just can't >> cannot be in their own thoughts.
01:30:03
>> No. >> Um >> and it it Yeah. >> It blows my mind. I love being Yeah. I I
01:30:09
love my downtime. >> Are you quite quite emotional these days? I we we cried earlier like um
01:30:16
talking about your mom and her dementia, but before that like when was the last time you
01:30:19
>> I cried I cried everything. >> Yeah. Have you always been this way?
01:30:22
>> No, I think I've got I've as I've gotten older I cry. I mean even when I was
01:30:28
walking around the home, you know, I was crying, you know. Um you know, Instagram, some Instagram
01:30:36
videos about family. I cry when I see, you know, those those those those reels of people surprising their friends or
01:30:44
they haven't seen. I cry at those. >> That's what I agree. Yeah. >> Yeah. You know, you're in an emotional
01:30:51
state if a Tik Tok can set you off. >> Do it's good though. It's a wonderful
01:30:55
emotion that I think I suppressed through my 20s. >> I But I embrace it. I don't Yeah. I
01:30:59
don't care. It's just like >> What are you most afraid of? I think
01:31:10
what am I most I don't know Dom what am I it's not dying >> definitely be won't be dying cuz yeah
01:31:26
probably getting dementia >> is that a genetic thing >> I think so >> that would freak me out
01:31:35
>> cuz you've seen it firsthand I've seen it firsthand. >> But I also I'm I'm the my mindset at the
01:31:42
moment is just to I don't want to go through that. >> I want to go knowing that I had a proper conversation
01:31:52
with with the ones I love. >> Not not remembering a conversation. I that's when I want to go.
01:31:57
>> I don't want to be around I don't want to be a burden to anyone
01:32:01
>> because although my mom's still my mom but she's not my mom. Do you know what I
01:32:06
mean? >> Yeah. Not the one that >> not the woman that that I know. >> So, I don't know. I'm just trying to
01:32:13
figure it's it's weird cuz I'm trying to figure that out. How do I leave this
01:32:17
world at that if I do get if I am diagnosed with dementia? How do I how do I figure
01:32:23
out when to go cuz I got to convince someone >> or like like you like a euthanasia or
01:32:30
No, no. >> Yeah. I don't want to be I don't I don't want to be
01:32:34
>> Okay. Okay. No. Okay. But say so you your your mom said said to you, Robbie,
01:32:38
you know, I've got dementia. It's only going to get worse. I need you to sign
01:32:41
the paperwork on this. What are you going to say? You say, "Hell no." >> No, she doesn't remember. So, it doesn't
01:32:44
matter now. >> She's gone past that point. Whether I have control right now, so I'm just in
01:32:52
my mind and my kids will hate me for this, but >> I'm seriously thinking on how I can
01:32:58
>> convince someone when you see the signs where I'm forgetting conversation.
01:33:04
I think about it a lot after being around when I'm around my I think about it. I don't want to be here. I want to
01:33:10
remember I want to remember this. That's my my point in life right now is just
01:33:14
tick boxes. I want to tick boxes and make sure that someday when I'm sitting
01:33:19
on the deck or something having a word talking to my grandson or whatever. I said I've done everything I can.
01:33:26
>> I can go now. I'm happy to go. But if I have dementia, I I don't want to be
01:33:32
around. It seems like the Robbie Magaver we've um met today is in a good space.
01:33:39
>> I am. Yeah, >> I am in a really good space at the moment. >> I got one final question. So the um the
01:33:43
the show sponsored by the Generate Kiwi Saver scheme and the leaders in Kiwi Saver performance. I just want to know
01:33:49
who's behind your performance. So you can put that into your day-to-day life.
01:33:53
So you're the guy on the screen. You're the guy getting the awards. Uh who's the
01:33:58
the team behind Robbie Mangver's success? Well, cliche, but mom and dad. >> Um, my why is my kids.
01:34:09
>> Um, and I would probably say my the my community would be the people, but first and
01:34:17
foremost is mom and dad. >> And then my why. >> Are you proud of yourself?
01:34:26
I always have to think about it, Dom, because in the past, like I said before, like in the past, I was just like, "No,
01:34:30
I'm not proud of myself, but I am." >> It's weird though, that conversation
01:34:34
like, you know, you you asking me, "Are you in a good place?" I've never thought
01:34:39
about it. And thinking about it now, I am in a good place. >> Just more work, more acting work and I'd
01:34:45
be perfect. >> Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, your job's for the boys. >> Anyone out there?
01:34:54
I need work. >> You need >> fire me. >> Uh I I had a Tim and recent Tim Timmy
01:35:00
Morrison recently for a podcast and he's got like Jason Mamoa sort of like taking
01:35:04
him under his under his wing. >> Yeah. Would you do you want to be adopted by Jason Mamoa
01:35:09
>> in an acting sense? >> Oh, please. >> Just any please. >> No. I No. No. I I look I'm on my own
01:35:18
tour. I like being by myself and carving my own path. But it'd be nice. I actually met him once. I only met Jason
01:35:25
once, but he was awesome cuz it was at the rugby. I'll tell the story. It was
01:35:30
at the rugby. He was there. You know how the All Blacks, you get invited to the box. He was there and my my took my
01:35:38
daughter and she goes, "Oh my god, it's Jason. It's Jason." And I now me and
01:35:41
Jason know a guy uh his name is He's a legend. His name is Brian Kolana, Uncle
01:35:45
Brian back in Hawaii. So that's So I went up to him and I said, "Bro, I I
01:35:50
know Uncle Brian, blah blah blah." my my my daughter just wants a photo. Is that
01:35:54
okay? And he goes, "Yes, sweet, bro. But keep it down rap because I don't want
01:35:57
people coming up to me." So, we took a little photo with her um my daughter,
01:36:00
him, and me. And he said, "Sweet. Thanks, brother." Walked off. I thought,
01:36:05
"Sweet." >> That's so >> That was the first time I met him.
01:36:07
>> Wow. >> But it was >> Did he know who you were? >> We had Yeah, I could because he I think
01:36:14
cuz Uncle Brian works with him a lot. Um and he'd been working on the show that I
01:36:19
was on. So he would have probably Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Hey, this has been a great podcast
01:36:24
today. >> I hope so, Dom. I always feel paranoid cuz oh god, what? >> Yeah. You can't You're like, "This this
01:36:31
is going to be this is going to be the shortest one ever. I'm nervous. I've got
01:36:34
nothing to say. >> I got nothing to say." >> I disagree. >> Although, yeah, I have to disagree. I
01:36:39
had like you've been like some of the question that you did say, are you happy? Like I I was always the my
01:36:45
biggest critic was myself. But to answer your question, when he asked me a question, are you happy
01:36:50
yourself? I was like, yeah, I am actually. Are you proud of yourself? Yeah, I am.
01:36:55
>> Because I'm in a good space. I'm in a good space at the moment.
01:36:57
>> Yeah. And what what about your parents? They proud of you. >> Yeah.
01:37:06
Yeah. Yeah. I know they are. >> What more is there? >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
01:37:14
>> Robin Manga, you're a great New Zealander. Thank you, my bro. Thank you.
01:37:17
It's >> been awesome.