Actor Jim Moriarty cut his teeth on the early dramas Pukemanu and Close to Home, then went on to appear in a number of other TV projects such as Inside Straight and City Life. As well as acting, Moriarty has directed in television and theatre, and works with at risk Maori youth.

He has starred in films The Strength of Water, No Petrol No Diesel, and played Jesus in Saving Grace.  In this ScreenTalk, Moriarty talks about:

• How actors were allowed to help develop the scripts on Close to Home
• Incorporating political and social issues into the show
• Being thrown from a horse on the set of The Lie of the Land
• Making ‘love’ the central focus of playing Jesus in Saving Grace
• Being give the freedom to improvise while making The Waimate Conspiracy
• How the film No Petrol No Diesel gave at risk youth a chance of participating in the industry
• Having an emotional reaction to the story in The Strength of Water
• Not regretting turning down the role of Jake in Once Were Warriors

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons license.

NZ On Screen: Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside