Tom Sainsbury

Thomas Sainsbury (born 1982) is a New Zealand actor, writer, filmmaker, comedian, TV presenter and podcaster.[1][2][3] Sainsbury began his acting and writing career in theatre. He became well known in New Zealand from 2017 for his short form comedy videos released on Instagram and Facebook. As a television comedy writer he has contributed to 7 Days, Jono and Ben and Wellington Paranormal. With Madeline Sami he co-wrote Super City, which won the SWANZ Scriptwriters Best Comedy Script Award in 2011.[1][4]

Tom Sainsbury
Sainsbury in 2023
Born
Thomas Sainsbury

1982 (age 40–41)
Matamata, New Zealand
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • director
  • writer
Years active2005–present
Comedy career
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • film
  • television
  • theatre
  • books
Genres

Early life

Sainsbury was born in Matamata and is the youngest of three children.[5] He was raised on a dairy farm and attended Matamata College.[1][6] Sainsbury was encouraged in acting and drama by his parents, including at age 9, accompanying them to the Matamata Operatic Society rendition of Little Shop of Horrors. He was immediately inspired to write a sequel for his school assembly and thrived in the creative process of writing and performing it.[5]

In 2000, Sainsbury moved to Auckland to study for a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Auckland and decided on English literature and Theatre as his major. Throughout his studies, he wrote and produced plays in Auckland theatres including Silo Theatre and The Basement Theatre.[7][8]

Career

Theatre

After graduating from the University of Auckland in 2004, Sainsbury went on to become a prolific playwright in New Zealand. He has produced over 50 plays and several of them, including And Then You Die, The Christmas Monologues, The Mall, Loser, A Simple Procedure and Sunday Roast have been performed in London, United States, France, Greece and Australia.[5][9][10]

Film and television

In 2010, Sainsbury and Madeline Sami co-wrote Super City, a TV comedy series set in Auckland, New Zealand. It won the 2011 SWANZ Best Comedy Script award and was optioned by American network ABC in 2012.[1][9]

Sainsbury has written many New Zealand web series and comedy shows, including International Emmy Awards winner INSiDE.[1][9][11]

He has acted in screen work including the character Jason Kirkpatrick in Shortland Street.[1] In 2020, Sainsbury co-wrote and starred in the horror comedy feature film Dead.[12] He also starred in Pork Pie and appeared in local shows including Jono and Ben, 7 Days, Snack Masters, Give Us a Clue, Educators and Wellington Paranormal.[3][13]

In 2023, Sainsbury released the feature film, Loop Track. He is the director, writer and actor of the film.[1]

Comedian

Sainsbury has performed in New Zealand as a comic since 2014.[4]

As a comedian, he is best known as the 'Snapchat Dude' due to the use of the Snapchat application on his smartphone to create short form comedy videos. The videos are released on social media and satirise New Zealand politicians and parody New Zealand stereotypes and culture. Since 2017, some of his most popular videos are of politicians Paula Bennett, Simon Bridges and Jacinda Ardern.[14][15][16] He uses wigs, costumes and Snapchat face manipulation.

He has written, co-written and performed in multiple live comedy theatre shows including The Opening Night Before Christmas, Infectious, Camping, D.O.C.ing, Giggly Gerties, Dynamotion, Gays in Space, and Hauraki Horror. These productions often included other local comedians such as Kura Forrester, Brynley Stent and Chris Parker.[17][18][19]

In 2020, Sainsbury was awarded the New Zealand Herald's Entertainment Hero of the Year.[20] During the same year, he released a non-fiction book called New Zealanders: A Field Guide. The book was is an extension of his Snapchat videos and provided detailed descriptions of his favourite Kiwi archetypes.[21][22]

In 2021 and 2022, he was the team captain (regular) on the TVNZ revival of the British game show Give Us a Clue and co-hosted Snack Masters.[23][24]

He released a fictional comedy murder mystery podcast series called Small Town Scandal that was produced and distributed by New Zealand Media and Entertainment in 2023.[2][25]

Awards

Sainsbury has been a four-time winner of the Playmarket Young Playwright of the Year. He has also been a three-time finalist for the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award. His play The Canary won the Playmarket 2010 Special Prize for an Auckland Playwright.[9]

  • Aotearoa Film and Television Awards (2011) – Nominated for Best Script – Drama/Comedy (with Madeleine Sami): for Super City[1]
  • SWANZ Scriptwriters Awards (NZ Writers Guild) (2011) – Best Comedy Script (with Madeleine Sami): for Super City, episode three[1]
  • Aotearoa Filmmaking Competition (48Hours) – Two-time National Winner (2016) and (2018)[1]
  • Billy T Award, New Zealand Comedy Trust (2019) – Nominee[1]
  • New Zealand Herald's Entertainment Hero of the Year (2020)[1]
  • International Emmy (2021) for Best Short-Form Series for INSiDE (and was the only Australasian nominee of the awards)[26]
  • Aotearoa Film and Television Awards (2022) Best Comedy Script: for Wellington Paranormal, series four, Episode four[1]
  • Rielly Comedy Award, Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, 2023

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role
2011 Super City Writer, Casting, actor, Executive Producer
2015–17 Jono & Ben Various – Sketch Comedy
2016 Filthy Rich Actor – season II, 'Dylan Mayberry'
2017 True Story with Hamish and Andy Actor – 'Sam'
2017–18 Shortland Street Actor – 'Jason Kirkpatrick'
2018–22 Wellington Paranormal Actor – season I – IV, 'Constable Parker' (recurring)
2019 The Bad Seed Actor – 'Political Panelist'
Golden Boy Actor – season I, 'Groundskeeper' (recurring)
2019–22 Educators Actor – season I – III, 'Rudy Beard' (core cast)
2019–22 Have You Been Paying Attention? Self – Panelist (regular)
2021–22 7 Days Self – Panelist and Team Captain
2021 My Life Is Murder Actor – season I, 'Brett'
The Masked Singer Self
2021–22 Give Us a Clue Self – season I & II, Team Captain
2022 Snack Masters Self – host
The Love Hour Self – host
Under the Vines Actor

Film

Year Title Role
2016 Pork Pie Actor – 'Bongo'
Waru Actor – 'Jason'
2017 The Breaker Upperers Actor – 'Man 1'
2020 Dead Writer, Actor – 'Dane 'Marbles' Marbeck' (lead role)
Guns Akimbo Actor – 'Singstar Dude'
2020 Baby Done Actor – 'Stupid Man'
2021 Nude Tuesday Actor – 'Commuter'
2023 Loop Track Director, writer, Casting, Actor – 'Ian'

References
  1. "Tom Sainsbury". NZ On Screen. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  2. Simich, Ricardo (26 March 2023). "Tom Sainsbury plays 30 characters in new podcast". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  3. "Thomas Tom Sainsbury | Auckland Actors". www.aucklandactors.co.nz. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  4. "Comedy's Mr Nice Guy Tom Sainsbury on hope and compassion". NZ Herald. 4 December 2022. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  5. Dudding, Adam (25 November 2017). "The little voices in Thomas Sainsbury's head". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  6. "Thomas Sainsbury". Verb Wellington. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  7. "Thomas Sainsbury – The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  8. Sills, Ethan (13 October 2018). "Underground theatre shines through decade of disruption". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  9. "Thomas Sainsbury". www.playmarket.org.nz. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  10. "Comedy.co.nz – The home of live NZ comedy. Comedians, News, Reviews , Video, Venues. The Classic Comedy Bar and Classic Studio – Tom Sainsbury". www.comedy.co.nz. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  11. "TV Award wins for Barbara Dreaver, Jack Tame, Te Karere, The Panthers". 1 News. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20220228075030/https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/dead-2020
  13. "Thomas Sainsbury". IMDb. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  14. "Comedian Tom Sainsbury on Snapchat content and TV projects". Newstalk ZB. 20 December 2022. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  15. Olds, Jeremy (17 August 2017). "Thomas Sainsbury's Snapchat impersonations have politicians talking". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  16. reporters, Auckland (13 January 2020). "Here's why Paula Bennett is grateful for Tom Sainsbury". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  17. Sills, Ethan (10 December 2016). "Rising playwright Thomas Sainsbury wants to have a word with Peter Jackson". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  18. "Thomas Sainsbury". Theatre Scenes: Aotearoa New Zealand Theatre. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  19. Casey, Alex (20 December 2016). "A merry Christmas chat with comedy legends Tom Sainsbury and Chris Parker". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  20. "Top five Kiwi entertainment heroes of 2020". NZ Herald. 12 December 2020. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  21. "New Zealanders – Tom Sainsbury – Paperback". Harper Collins New Zealand. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  22. "New Zealanders – Tom Sainsbury – eBook". Harper Collins New Zealand. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  23. Harvey, Kerry (6 April 2022). "Cracking the snack code with Snack Masters NZ". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  24. Parkes, Melenie (28 July 2021). "Clueless? Not us says trio behind Give Us A Clue". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  25. "Tom Sainsbury's Small Town Scandal". iHeart. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  26. "INSiDE | Series | Television". NZ On Screen. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
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