Frontseat - Who Can Play Māori

Television (Excerpts) – 2006

This item from arts show Frontseat asks whether it is right for actors to portray other races than their own. Samoan Kiwi David Fane — who won both fans and criticism, after voicing Jeff da Māori on bro'Town — argues that playing another ethnicity is only an issue when the actor does a bad job. Actor Rachel House (Whale Rider) raises wider issues of indigenous people telling their own stories; and Cliff Curtis, known for a wide range of ethnicities on screen, says he needs to be just as careful playing Māori of other iwi, as when he is playing other races.

The Māori actors that are around these days, we are ever increasing, and therefore there isn't much of an excuse anymore for non-Māori to play Māori roles because there's this fantastic, strong, thriving community of Māori actors and performers.
– Actor Rachel House