Nicola Kawana

Nicola Kāwana (born 1970) is a New Zealand actress, best known for playing Huia Samuels on the longest running New Zealand television series Shortland Street. Other roles include Mercy Peak, Jackson's Wharf, Lollie in The Man Who Lost His Head and “Mad” Maggie in Apex Legends.[1][2]

Nicola Kāwana
Born
New Zealand
Occupation(s)Actress and theatre maker
Years active1998–present
RelativesLucy Takiora Lord (ancestor)

Career

Kāwana was born in Taranaki, and was part of Taranaki Youth Theatre.[3] She did actor training at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School graduating in 1994.[4]

As of 20 August 2006, the character Huia Samuels has been written out of Shortland Street.[5] It was reported that Kāwana was very angry with the decision. However, the story that appeared went to print based on gossip. Kāwana was unable to give her side of the story due to the legal constraints of her contract to South Pacific Pictures, the makers of the serial programme.[6]

July 2021 was the premier of a play Kāwana wrote called Kūpapa. This play is about an ancestor of Kāwana's, Lucy Takiora Lord, who was involved in significant historical events in Aotearoa New Zealand. The play was presented by Te Pou Theatre in Auckland and directed by Erina Daniels.[7][8]

Kāwana also works as a garden writer, gardener and presenter on the Maori TV show, Whānau Living. Nicola is a member of Equity New Zealand, a UNICEF Global Parent.[9][10][1]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes Ref
1998 Saving Grace Nurse [11]
2005 The Mystery of DeRezny's Limp DeRezny's Mother Short
2009 Kehua Sarah Short [12]
2012 Fresh Meat Margaret Crane [12]
2013 Pumanawa: The Gift Spirit Pare Short [12]
2018 Maui's Hook [12]

Television
Year Title Role Notes Ref
1998 The Enid Blyton Secret Series Jaguarheads "The Secret Mountain" [11]
1999 Jackson's Wharf Mahina Jackson Recurring role [11]
2002 Mercy Peak Karina Chadwick "Do the Right Thing", "Fear and Loathing" [11]
2002 Mataku Tui Burton "The Rocks" [11]
2005–06 Shortland Street Huia Samuels Regular role [11]
2007 The Man Who Lost His Head Lollie TV film [13]
2008 Legend of the Seeker Sylvia "Brennidon" [13]
2010 Eruption Mere TV film [11]
2011 Brown Bruthaz TV series [11]
2014 The Kick TV film [11]
2015 Find Me a Maori Bride Judge Judy "1.8" [13]
2016 Reset Mere TV film [11]
2016 The Brokenwood Mysteries Tina "Over Her Dead Body", "A Merry Bloody Christmas" [11]
2017 Kiwi Janice TV film
2018 The New Legends of Monkey Meera "A Part of You That's Missing" [11]
2018 In Dark Places P.C. Salu TV film [11]
2019 Ahikāroa Dina "Season 2"

Video games
Year Title Role Notes Ref
2021-present Apex Legends Mad Maggie [14]

Theatre

Kāwana's first professional role was in Hone Tuwhare’s In the Wilderness Without a Hat in 1989 at Taki Rua.[15]

Her theatre acting roles include:

Year Title Playwright Role Director Producer Notes Ref
1995 Five Angels Hone Kouka Alison Quignan Centrepoint Theatre [16]
1996 Mo & Jess Kill Susie Gary Henderson Gary Henderson BATS Theatre [16]
1998 Homefires Hone Kouka Tia Nathaniel Lees Downstage Theatre in NZ Festival of the Arts programme [16]
1998 Kindertransport Diane Samuels Mother Donagh Rees Herald Theatre Unreal Theatre Company [16]
1999 Les Parents Terribles Jean Cocteau Madeline Cathy Downes Circa Theatre [17] [16]
2001 Woman Far Walking Witi Ihimaera Tilly Christian Penny Taki Rua Productions performed in New Plymouth (July) and at the Herald Theatre, Auckland in August [16]
2012 The Motor Camp Dave Armstrong Dawn Taoioa Roy Ward Auckland Theatre Company Comedy, based on a story by Danny Mulheron [3]
2012 Awatea Bruce Mason Pera Colin McColl ATC [3]
2014 Fix Jess Sayer Grace Sam Sneddon The Basement [16]
2015 A Dolls House Emily Perkins Christine Colin McColl ATC adapted from Ibsen's original [3]
2018 Rendered Stuart Hoar Major Aria Katie Wolfe ATC [3]
2018 Under the Mountain Pip Hall Aunty Noeline Sara Brodie ATC adapted from Maurice Gee novel [3]
2019 Astroman Albert Belz Mrs Mahara Tainui Tukiawalo ATC in assoc. with Te Rehia Theatre and Auckland Arts Festival. [3]
2020 The Master Builder Hendik Ibsen Dr Kerdal Colin McColl ATC a hybrid of theatre and film [3]
2020 Red Rabbit, White Rabbit Nassim Soleimanpour Solo The Audience Silo Theatre Improvisation from playwright's instructions,unseen by the actor
2021 Things That Matter Gary Henderson Carol Anapela Polata'ivao ATC adapted from a memoir by Dr David Galler [3]

Awards

1996 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards - Most Promising Female Newcomer of the Year - Mo & Jess Kill Susie by Gary Henderson[18]

References
  1. "Nicola Kawana". Auckland Theatre Company. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  2. "The big break: NZ stars share their first theatre". The New Zealand Herald. 14 September 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  3. "Nicola Kāwana". Auckland Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  4. Guest, Bill (2010). Transitions : four decades of Toi Whakaari : New Zealand Drama School. Ginny Sullivan, Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School. Wellington [N.Z.]: Victoria University Press. ISBN 978-0-86473-642-0. OCLC 669968400.
  5. Barry, Rebecca (11 October 2006). "Surgical strike on Shortland Street". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  6. Cook, Stephen (August 2006). "Dumped actress throws hissy fit and goes Awol from set in protest". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  7. "KŪPAPA". Te Pou Theatre. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  8. O'Flaherty, Erin. "REVIEW: Kūpapa (Te Pou Theatre)". Theatre Scenes: Auckland Theatre Blog (Reviews and commentary). Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  9. "Our Stories". Pollinator Paths. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  10. "Tag: Gardening. Showing results 1 - 10 of 101 | Māori Television". Te Ao Maori. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  11. "Nicola Kawana". IMDb. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  12. "Nicola Kawana". New Zealand Film Commission. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  13. "Nicola Kawana". IMDb. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  14. @playapex (24 January 2022). "Let's give a massive kia ora to Nicola Kawana as we welcome her into the Apex Whānau as Mad Maggie" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. "Nicola Kāwana | Auckland Theatre Company". Auckland Theatre Company. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  16. "Theatre 1 Database". Theatre Aotearoa database. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  17. "Theatre 1 Database". Theatre Aotearoa database. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  18. "Theatre Aotearoa". tadb.otago.ac.nz. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
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