Eight years after Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne (Ngāti Porou, Ngai Tūhoe) broke-out in Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, she’s garnering further international acclaim as the female lead (alongside Guy Pearce) in Lee Tamahori’s historical drama The Convert.
The film, in cinemas around Aotearoa from March 14, premiered last September at the Toronto International Film Festival and Ngatai-Melbourne was acknowledged with a Rising Star award. Not that international acclaim is necessarily something the actor, playwright and director (her short film, E Rangi Rā was made with the support of Māoriland Film) strives for.
She’s worked steadily on telling local stories, from roles in Cousins and Whina (she played a teenage Whina Cooper) through to her playwriting. Her primary driver, as she told Stuff last year, is “to do it for my whānau and to do it for the generation who didn’t get the same opportunities as me”.
Ahead of The Convert’s release in Aotearoa, Ngatai-Melbourne shares with us the last time she cried, laughed, loved and more.
When was the last time you cried?
Today I cried three times. The first time because my best friend sent me a really meaningful message, the second time because I was really proud of my dad, the third, after I watched Emma Stone's speech after winning an Oscar.
When was the last time you danced, and what were you dancing to?
I think it was that Move your Body song by Beyonce! We used it to warm up for our kapa haka practice lol.
What was the last thing you bought and loved?
Probs my toiletry bag from Kmart LOL.
What’s the last piece of clothing you bought?
Probably the last thing I bought and I loved… was a black silk Huffer dress. So pretty!
What’s the last beauty product you finished?
My go-to face balm, from Soul Deep. It's called Hineteariki Kawakawa and Rosehip face balm.
When’s the last time you got drunk?
My gosh, it was probably my friend's 30th birthday. I was only supposed to have a few because of commitments I had the next day LOL, but ended up GOING TO TOOOWN!
What was the last really delicious thing you ate?
The hākari we had at my nan’s tangi.
The last song you listened to on Spotify?
The last book you finished?
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
The last TV show you watched?
Avatar: The Last Airbender, on Netflix.
The last DM/text you sent?
It was 'mamae man!!' - because my legs and hips were sore after a weekend of hakas.
What’s the last fight you had?
Hmm I'm assuming it was with my sister lol. But we always make up straight away like nothing happened.
The last time you laughed so much your tummy hurt?
The other week when I was talking to my koko.
What’s the last drug you took?
It was panadol! I had a headache after one night of drinking two pink Gordon cans hahaha.
When’s the last time you were home?
Sunday.
