Nathaniel Lees is an NZ born Samoan actor who has acted on both stage and screen. Lees began his screen career with small roles in Death Warmed Up and Other Halves, before joining Billy T James on his sketch comedy shows. Lees went on to appear in a number of TV dramas including Shark in the Park, City Life, Gloss, Shortland Street and Street Legal. His many film roles include Sione’s Wedding, The Lord of the Rings, Rapa Nui and The Matrix trilogy.

In this ScreenTalk, Lees talks about:

• Talking with Billy T James about how 'big' to play scenes on Billy T's comedy show
• Learning about screen acting on police drama Shark in the Park
• Coming to terms with the pace of production on Shortland Street
• The challenging Easter Island shoot for movie Rapa Nui  
• Not having to audition for a role on Street Legal
• Donning a full body suit to play Ugluk in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Feeling uneasy at being constantly looked after on The Matrix films — and some good advice from Laurence Fishburne
• Encountering fans of the Matrix movies
• The joy of filming the two Sione’s Wedding films
• Being told that Samoan language film The Orator - O Le Tulafale wouldn't attract audiences
• Feeling fortunate about his acting career

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

NZ On Screen: Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside