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