Former Commonwealth Games athlete Kirk Torrance (Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairoa) struggled with asthma and school as a child, before realising his potential as an internationally competitive swimmer.

Following his exploits at home and abroad in the pool, Torrance graduated from Toi Whakaari and embarked on a successful career in film and television.

His most memorable performances to date include Toa in Fish Skin Suit, Lee Kapene in Shortland St, Holden in award-winning feature film Stickmen, and detective Wayne Judd in the hit TV series Outrageous Fortune.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Torrance shares his experiences on:

• Growing up as an asthmatic kid in Dargaville

• Traveling overseas to swim on the world stage

• Facing unexpected nudity at drama school

• Issues behind the scenes of Fish Skin Suit

• Shooting feature film Stickmen

• His double life on Shortland St

• The Outrageous audition process for Wayne Judd, and the complexities of realising the character

• Facing his family with Wayne Judd’s mustache

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

NZ On Screen:  Interview, Camera & Editing – James Coleman