ScreenTalk: Shavaughn Ruakere
24 Jul 2012
Shavaughn Ruakere: The leap of faith from TV presenting to acting.
Shavaughn Ruakere began her career as a presenter on kids TV show What Now?. She graduated to a more adult role as a presenter on music channel C4, after a stint co-presenting UK morning show SM:TV. Since then Ruakere has made the switch to acting and appeared in a number of shows, including Shortland Street as core cast member Roimata Ngatai.
In this ScreenTalk, Ruakere talks about:
- Being scared by going on live TV for What Now?
- Not being shy about being a ‘dick’ on a kids show
- Witnessing two experienced actors ‘ad-libbing’ on the set of River Queen
- Managing not to do a nude scene in the film
- How presenting on C4 showed a more mature side of herself
- Getting a chance to wear leather and high heels in Legend of the Seeker
- How her role on Shortland Street pulled her out of a slump
- The similarities and differences between her and her character Roimata
- Coping with the time restraints and pace of shooting on the show
- Loving working with her on-camera family
- How ‘being someone else’ on set helps her overcome doubt
This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.
NZ On Screen: Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside