Claire Chitham

Claire Chitham feels lucky to have played a "couple of cool characters on-screen that were fun and unique''.

Born and raised in Auckland, Chitham began acting as a child. On top of eight years training and acting at Onehunga’s Dolphin Theatre — where she starred as Pinocchio, aged eight — she studied song and dance at Auckland's Performing Arts School.

At age 12, Chitham made her television debut in an episode of The New Adventures of Black Beauty (1990), as a girl who feared she was going to lose her beloved horse. A few years later, she played daughter to American actor Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H) in an episode of The Ray Bradbury Theatre: 'The Happiness Machine’.

Chitham joined soap Shortland Street at 16, as Waverley Wilson, the kind-hearted "country bumpkin" niece to Michael McKenna (Paul Gittins). It was only a guest role, but a few years later Chitham was invited back for a three month stint, which would stretch to eight years. Her receptionist character was meant to be a love interest for Nick Harrison (Karl Burnett), but their 2002 marriage took years to happen — thanks to complications including other partners, Waverley fleeing the country, and Nick's shock discovery that Waverley had cut off lots of his hair while he was sleeping.

"She was easy to fall in love with, and to play," said Chitham. "She had a heart of gold and was harmless. And the best thing was she was this really great comic character. I was grateful that Waverley was a Character with a capital C..."

After her wedding in 2002, Waverley Harrison endured breast cancer and a miscarriage, before giving birth to a girl on the show's 3000th episode. The couple left Shortland Street for Taranaki in 2005. In 2017 they returned for a cameo appearance in a feature-length episode to mark the show's 25th anniversary, while Waverley and three of her children cameoed in the 2022 cliffhanger.

Chitham took an extended break from Shortland Street back in 1995. During this period she acted onstage and worked on kidult horse drama Riding High. In 2003 she took another break, joining the "exemplary" cast (said The NZ Herald) of Auckland Theatre Company's Play 2.03. Time off Shortland likely reawakened Chitham’s interest in theatre, which she has described as "her first love". Since leaving the soap, she has appeared onstage in a number of plays, mainly for Silo Theatre. She sang in musical review Jacques Brel is Alive and Living in Paris, and in 2004 Herald reviewer Shannon Huse praised her "strong, layered and compelling performance" in Tape.

On-screen, Chitham won a 2006 NZ Screen Award for a guest role in police drama Interrogation. She played an extra on a film set, who accuses the American lead actor of raping her. That same year, Chitham began another memorable role: as "leather-and-lace bikie chick" Aurora Bay, on Outrageous Fortune. Aurora’s relationship with the leader of a motorcycle gang failed to stop the lovestruck Van West (Antony Starr) from trying to win her over — including rescuing her from gang headquarters.

In 2010 Chitham joined her longtime Shorty colleague Karl Burnett for his self-funded comedy feature Captain Amazingly Incredible and the Space Vampires from the Evil Planet. She played the daughter of the villain, who is keen to break free of her nefarious father and become a dental hygienist.

At the 2019 NZ Television Awards, Chitham was nominated for Best Actress for black comedy Fresh Eggs. Chitham played book editor Penny, the more switched on half of a couple whose life starts to spin out of control after they relocate to a small town. Their peaceful rural existence is quickly shattered by unexpected fatalities, drug dealers and a crazy author. Chitham describes it as "one of the best acting experiences I've ever had" — partly because she felt like she had the skills to own her lead role with confidence. Chitham's husband was played by Cohen Holloway.

Chitham was also among the cast of 2019 Netflix romance Falling Inn Love, about an American designer in Aotearoa. More recently Chitham has had roles in episodes of sitcom, Mean Mums in 2020 and crime drama, The Brokenwood Mysteries in 2021. Behind the scenes she has also done continuity work, and been an acting coach for child actors.

Chitham has done multiple stints in the United States and Australia. She acted in Aussie soap Neighbours and drama Canal Road (playing wife to Outrageous Fortune actor Grant Bowler). Winning acting roles in the highly competitive Los Angeles scene proved challenging, but Chitham did some voice-over roles and enjoyed the chance to reinvent herself, hustle for work, and catch up on acting studies — there had been little time for acting classes when she joined Shortland Street as a teen.

Time back in New Zealand in 2016 helped Chitham realise she needed to come home. That year she acted in one woman play Grounded at Dunedin's Fortune Theatre. Chitham won acclaim (and a Dunedin Theatre Award) for her portrayal of an ex fighter pilot who balances family with a job flying drones. "It was terrifying and amazing; you're using every skill you've managed to sponge up as an actor." 

Profile updated on 29 September 2023  

Sources include
Emma Clifton, 'Claire Chitham on her back-to-front life and the heartbreaking family news that bought her home' (Interview) - The Australian Women's Weekly, 27 April 2019
Rebecca Fox, 'One woman, well-grounded' (Interview) - The Otago Daily Times, 27 April 2016
Shannon Huse, 'Tape at Silo Theatre' (Review) - The NZ Herald, 9 August 2004
Sarah Nealon, 'Shortland St's Waverley returns in a Fresh new role' (Interview) TV Guide, 5 February 2019
Francis Till, 'Play 2.03 (ATC Second Unit) at Maidment Studio' (Review) - The NZ Herald, 13 July 2003
'Claire Chitham' Outrageous Fortune website (broken link). Accessed 8 July 2015 
'Claire Chitham' TVNZ website. Accessed 31 August 2020
Unknown writer, 'Claire Chitham' (Interview) Throng website. Accessed 31 August 2020  
Unknown writer, 'New wave - The reinvention of Claire Chitham' (Interview) - The Herald on Sunday, 8 October 2005