Grant Roa

Porirua-raised Grant Roa made his mark in athletics and martial arts, before returning to another childhood passion in his 20s: acting. In 2003 he was nominated for a New Zealand Film Award after playing uncle to the main character in big screen hit Whale Rider. He went on to show his comic chops on sketch show Facelift, and played a villain on kids TV drama The Lost Children. Roa has also acted in commercials and worked behind the scenes in a range of support roles, including driving key cast and crew to filming locations. In 2012, alongside Laurence Alexander, he produced his first feature: music documentary Shihad - Beautiful Machine.

... as Porourangi's brother Rawiri, Grant Roa makes an indelible, funny impression as he teaches Pai some stick-fighting techniques. Mark Caro, reviewing Whale Rider in The Chicago Tribune, 16 December 2008