Hori Ahipene - Funny As Interview

Hori Ahipene became a 1990s comedy fixture after working on Skitz, The Semisis (the first Pasifika sitcom) and bilingual comedy show Radio Wha Waho. In this Funny As interview, he covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Using performance as a defence mechanism to prevent being beaten up as a child
• Forging his mum’s signature at 17 to apply for drama school Toi Whakaari in Wellington
• Acting alongside Toi Whakaari classmate Cliff Curtis on cop drama Undercover, soon after graduating
• Dressing up as a woman for the first time on Away Laughing — he laughs that “the rest was history”
• How he is still recognised for playing Mrs Semisi in 90s comedy show The Semisis — and how the show nearly didn’t go to air

This interview was recorded for 2019 TV series Funny As: The Story of New Zealand Comedy. All audiovisual content is copyright to Augusto, and may not be reproduced. Publication of Funny As extended interviews made possible with funding from the NZ Lotteries Grants Board.