David Wikaira-Paul (born 30 January 1985) played Tama Hudson on New Zealand television series Shortland Street.
He joined the cast of Shortland Street in 2001 to play fresh-faced 14-year-old Tama Hudson, a high school student. Wikaira-Paul had already left school and completed a year of tertiary education at Northland Polytechnic. He graduated from the Polytechnic in 2000 with a Certificate in Applied Arts, Music and Drama, having played the lead role in their production of Te Ngaru Nui.
Other theatre credits include Late Nights with Tuakau College, and Buggy Wonderland and The Miraculous Fairy Tale with the Kaleidescope Performing Arts Company. Moving to Auckland, he signed with an acting agency and was soon cast in Shortland Street. Over the years his performance as Tama gained him great popularity throughout New Zealand, especially with younger viewers.
Like many of the cast, Wikaira-Paul is also very musically talented. His hip hop group Medical Clan won the prestigious South Side Gig in both 2000 and 2003, and he has written several songs for on-screen alter ego Tama to perform on Shortland Street.
Medical Clan recently performed as part of TV2's 24-hour live music show, National Anthem. He has also appeared in the Maori mystery television series Mataku, which was made by Shortland Street's parent company, South Pacific Pictures. Wikaira-Paul was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars (New Zealand TV series) in 2006. He now has three children and a wife Sam (wife), Ricco(son), Andre(son), Tamara(daughter)
Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera centring on the fictitious Shortland Street Hospital. The show was first broadcast on TVNZ 2 on 25 May 1992 and is New Zealand's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 7,900 episodes and 32 years. It is one of the most watched television programmes in New Zealand.
Marton Paul Csokas is a New Zealand actor of film, stage, and television. A graduate of the Toi Whakaari drama school, he has worked extensively in Australia and Hollywood, along with his native country, and often portrays villainous roles.
Faye Smythe is a New Zealand television actor, best known for her role in Shortland Street as Nurse Tania Jeffries.
Benjamin Mitchell, is a New Zealand actor best known for his role as Dr. TK Samuels in the soap opera Shortland Street.
Jonathon Alexander McKenna is a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Kieren Hutchison, who played the role in both recurring and regular stints in the 1990s, before returning for a six-month period during 2011.
Robbie Joseph Magasiva is a Samoan-New Zealander actor who has starred in several films and as a member of the Naked Samoans comedy troupe. He has also appeared on television and in theatre, and was the co-presenter of New Zealand's Tagata Pasifika with famed athlete, Beatrice Faumuina. Magasiva is also known for his role on Shortland Street as Dr. Maxwell Avia, which he played from June 2009 to July 2012, and for his role as Will Jackson on the prison drama series, Wentworth. Magasiva is the only male actor to appear in all eight seasons; he appeared in all 100 episodes of the show.
Dr. Michael McKenna is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera, Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Paul Gittins and was part of the original cast.
Katie Wolfe is an actor, film and stage director from New Zealand. She appeared in television series including Marlin Bay (1990s), Shortland Street, and Mercy Peak. Her screen directing work has won awards, including Redemption at the ImagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival and This Is Her at the Prague International Short Film Festival. Wolfe wrote and directed a stage play, The Haka Party Incident that was presented in 2023 in New Zealand.
Vainu'u "Vinnie" Kruse-Miller is a fictional character from the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, played by Pua Magasiva. Vinnie first arrived on 25 November 2003, leaving the show on 23 February 2006. He made a return to the soap after a five-year gap on 16 August 2011.
David Fergus2 Kearney3 is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Paul Ellis for numerous recurring stints from 1995 to 1999 before becoming a regular character until 2001. The character returned briefly in 2002.
Dr. David Kearney is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was portrayed by Peter Elliott from early 1996 to late 1999 and for a guest appearances in 2020 and 2022, where he returned for the show's 30th anniversary.
Donna Heka is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was portrayed by Stephanie Tauevihi from 1997 to mid-2004 and again for a two episode stint in December 2004.
Dr. Victor Katea Kahu is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Calvin Tuteao from late 2000 to Christmas Day 2004.
Tama Hudson is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by David Wikaira-Paul from 2001 to 2006.
Te Hana Hudson is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Vanessa Rare for two stints from 2001 to 2005. The matriarch of the Hudson family unit, Te Hana was introduced during an infamous revamp of the show and was a representation of the working class New Zealander.
Joe Hudson is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Rawiri Paratene from 2001 to 2002.
Anne Kahu is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Emmeline Hawthorne from late 2001 until early 2004. The character was killed off in the 2003 cliffhanger.
Christopher Brown is a New Zealand television and theatre actor. His first television role was a regular role in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street playing villainous Oscar Henry. He later played teacher Brent Townsend-Ross in the Network Ten sitcom Sit Down, Shut Up. He won an accolade at the 2003 New Zealand Film Awards for his main role in the 2003 film Orphans and Angels.
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