4VF News – Daily News Channel

After almost two decades in obscurity, the girl who broke a nation’s heart as Grace Heke is to reappear on New Zealand screens. But this time she’ll be playing herself – a 36-year-old mother of four living in Cairns, Australia.

Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell was 15 and an acting novice when she gave an award-winning performance as the Heke family’s troubled teen Gracie, in seminal 1994 movie Once Were Warriors.

A new documentary, Once Were Warriors: Where are they now, reunites the actors who propelled Kiwi cinema on to the world stage and transformed the lives of those involved.

The documentary, directed by cast member-turned-filmmaker Julian Arahanga, touches on the toll wrought on the actors by Warriors’ gruelling emotional scenes.

It also reveals that the blockbuster was nearly thwarted by a chorus of doubt, including fears that Shortland Street star Temuera Morrison could never be a convincing Jake the Muss.

“When I read the script I didn’t think you could make it. I thought ‘Whoa, I don’t know who is going to watch this’,” Arahanga said.

For the young Kerr-Bell the experience was life-changing. Her portrayal of rape and suicide earned her a Best Supporting Actress award and several subsequent acting roles. She now admits to also having doubts about the film before its release: “I was like ‘Oh, my god, what have we made’ I was really scared about the reaction from the public. I’m 15 years old and I’ve just made a movie about Maori, my people, beating their women and raping their children.”

However, the role also opened her eyes to life’s possibilities: “It came at that point to show me that there was more to life than just staying in your home town and ending up going nowhere.”

Since she had her first child at 18, motherhood has come first. The film made Kerr-Bell public property, with random strangers stopping to give her a hug. In some cases she wondered if they had actually seen the film.

“People would ask me ‘Are you going to be in the second one’ I’m like ‘No, my character died’. How can you not remember that That was so sad.”

Even 20 years on she occasionally gets stopped in the street. Now working in real estate, Kerr-Bell regrets not investigating other ways to remain in the screen industry, such as writing or directing.

She’s too dedicated a mother to return to acting while her children are young. But watch this space: “Maybe in my 50s, when they’re older and more independent. I could be like Helen Mirren. I wouldn’t rule anything out.”

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– The Dominion Post

Jeremy Corbett pauses for a moment when asked how 7 Days has changed in the five years since it first screened.

“Now we have cheese and crackers backstage,” he reveals. “And I have a third suit.

“So over five years I’ve managed to accumulate three suits so I’m living the life of Riley. Cheese and crackers and an extra suit. It’s kind of my five-year result.”

The TV3 comedy panel show has been a hit with viewers and critics since it first hit the small screen back in August 2009.

It has since showcased a host of local and international comedians, plus various politicians, musicians and media figures. This year 7 Days has featured everyone from Paula Bennett to Che Fu to The Wiggles.

“I’m proud that it’s still there,” says Corbett, the show’s host. “To be going for five years on a New Zealand comedy show is outstanding. I always thought the format would work, but it’s worked better than I imagined and it continues to evolve.

“You don’t really notice it from week to week but if you look back at earlier shows, we’ve definitely refined the techniques and it’s such a sharp show. We’ve got great people working on it. I’m very proud of it and I consider myself very lucky to be involved in it.”

One of the show’s most popular segments is a game called Yes Minister in which a politician is asked questions by panellists but must not reply with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.

While a variety of folk from parliament have taken part in this one, John Key has yet to show his face.

“In his defence, I have bumped into him on the odd occasion and he’s keen, but the people around him try to prevent him coming on the show,” explains Corbett.

“I know for a fact he was very close to coming on the show one time, but it happened to be when there was some pretty grim news for New Zealand and he just couldn’t be seen having a laugh.

“He once told Paul (Ego) and I off when he saw us. He said, ‘My kids watch the show and you’re always take the **** out of me’. So we said to him ‘Well stop doing stupid things’.”

For the upcoming 7 Days Red Nose Day Special the show has been extended to an hour. Besides making people laugh, it is also designed to encourage viewers to donate money to Cure Kids, an organisation which funds research for illnesses and diseases affecting New Zealand children.

“Dai (Henwood) and Paul will be flanking me,” he says. “I know that Jono (Pryor) and Ben (Boyce) will be invading our show at some stage…

“Jono and Ben tend to take over when they visit, but that’s all right. They’ve invited me on their show from time to time and I like to help them out… They’re hard workers, full of energy and always a pleasure.”

As to whether Guy Williams from Jono And Ben At Ten will make an appearance, Corbett grumbles at the thought of it.

“I’m against it,” he says. “But they’ll probably have him on. He is the sexiest man on TV as voted by TV Guide readers in the Best On The Box awards. I personally find that a bit intimidating. When I was nominated I came sixth and to have someone with his kind of sex wattage on screen with us, well it diminishes our appeal. So I’d rather not have him on to be honest. And I’ll be lobbying hard for him not to be on the show.”

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When TV Guide spoke to Corbett, details of the special show were being finalised, but he was keen on the idea of the 7 Days panellists donating money.

“Paul and Dai have been doing this for a while. Surely they must have a bit of savings,” he says. “We could take them down and have a bit of a challenge between the team members to make the biggest donation which could be quite good.”

In terms of celebrating the show’s five years on air, Corbett is optimistic the TV network will mark the occasion with something significant.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that TV3 will have a pretty massive gift for all of us,” he says. “I don’t know what it’s going to be, but if they’re reading this article, I’m expecting something pretty amazing. I wouldn’t be surprised if we got a free car each. There must be a couple of extra Mazdas left over from Campbell Live.”

7 Days Red Nose Special TV 3
Friday, 22 August. 9.30pm

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It’s not often you mention Shihad and Hayley Westenra in the same breath, but that is the case today as the Kiwi rockers joined her in the record books for most number one albums.

Shihad became the first band to have five number one albums when their new offering, FVEY, debuted at number one on the NZ Top 40 weekly album chart.

They joined Westenra as the only New Zealand artists to have a quintet of number one albums.

All five of Shihad’s albums have debuted at number one – a feat no other New Zealand artist has achieved.

The rockers replaced Ed Sheeran’s X album at the top of the charts.

It also knocked Devilskin’s We Rise album from atop the New Zealand album chart.

The other new entry to the New Zealand album chart was country singer Cam Luxton with Laid Back Man.

The overall number one single this week was All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor, hitting the top spot after being number three last week.

The top New Zealand single was Mother and Father by the Broods, the song’s eighth week in the charts.

New entries to the New Zealand singles chart were Jamie McDell’s Dumb at number three and Freaks by Timmy Trumpet and Savage at number four.

It was a long-awaited return to the charts for legendary Kiwi rapper Savage.

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– Fairfax Media

For American alt rock icon Kristin Hersh, every note and word has to fascinate. Every song has to be alive, like a great person . . . full of colours and sweat and memories and potential.

A key figure in the alt rock movement and a prominent solo artist, Hersh visits Christchurch later this month for appearances at Word, the Christchurch Writers & Readers Festival. She will also perform in Wellington and Auckland.

Dinah Lee, the queen of the mods in the 1960s, has today released a pop song about Cathedral Square.

Australian-based Lee holds a key to the city of Christchurch and last performed here in 2010 as part of the Band Together concert.

“As soon as I heard about the quake I rang Bob Parker’s office and asked if there was anything I could do,” Lee told The Press in 2010.

”I went to Cashmere High School and still have lots of friends there. I’m in Sydney now but Christchurch will always be home to me.”

Jordan Luck, who wrote Cathedral Square for Lee, started writing the song many years ago, back when The Dance Exponents had a flat in Woodham Rd.

Released worldwide and recorded in Sydney at Vienna People Studio, Cathedral Square includes the chorus: ”I found you, I found you there, I found you in Cathedral Square.”

Born in Waimate, Lee, 70, was awarded New Zealand’s Prestigious Entertainment Award in 1965 and was the first entertainer to receive this award.

Her songs, Don’t You Know Yockomo, Reet Petite and Blue Beat were national No 1 hits. She had 15 top 10 hits and was the face of Yardley Cosmetics, elegantly combining her sharp fashion sense with a love for obscure R’n’B.

She toured London with a young mod called David Jones, who later changed his surname to Bowie, while also sharing a flat with Millie Small, who had the world’s first ska hit, My Boy Lollipop.

Lee has toured and performed with Ray Charles, the Bee Gees, Gene Pitney, P.J. Proby, Glen Campbell and the New Zealand Modfather, Ray Columbus.

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– The Press

Gaze across the vast, open-plan plains of your office and what do you see

You probably see a barren expanse of office furniture populated by predatory office managers, timid low-level workers and the occasional sporadic outburst of life which usually results in a call to IT.

It’s all rather drab isn’t it.

But what if you saw an array of animals of all shapes and sizes

What if you felt like David Attenborough, discovering and documenting strange new species and creatures

A New Zealand-fuelled drama has unfolded on reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, with a Kiwi radio host at the centre of it.