Jess Sayer

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Jess Sayer (born 1990 [a] ) is a New Zealand actress and playwright. [2] In 2015, she won the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award, and in 2020, she won the Adam NZ Play Award. [3] [4]

Contents

Biography

Sayer attended Kamo High School in Whangārei, New Zealand. [4] After high school, she began a degree in communications and journalism at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). [1] She later became interested in theatre and moved into studying drama at The Actors' Program, graduating in 2012. [2] [4] [5]

Sayer has appeared in the television soap opera Shortland Street as nurse Maeve Mullins, [6] Filthy Rich, Dirty Laundry and the drama Runaway Millionaires. [7] In 2016, she both wrote and acted in the web-only series Auckward Love, for TVNZ. In 2019, she appeared in the play Mr Red Light at Auckland's Aotea Centre. [4] [8]

As a playwright, Sayer has won the Playmarket B4 25 competition three times and has been shortlisted for the Adam NZ Play Award twice. In 2015, aged 25, she won the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award. [4] In 2019, she was nominated for three New Zealand Writers' Guild awards (SWANZ). [9] In 2020, she won the Adam NZ Play Award.

In July 2021, Sayer's pug, Bruce, made its debut on Shortland Street. [1]

Personal life

In July 2025, Sayer was engaged to Amanda Tito, her Shortland Street co-star and partner. [10]

Notes

  1. ↑ Age 35 as of August 2025. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Easther, Elisabeth (23 August 2025). "Shorty star Jess Sayer on why she quit social media". Now to Love.
  2. 1 2 NZ On Screen. "Jess Sayer | NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "Adam Play award winner Jess Sayer talks up hope for a screen led recovery". RNZ . 24 May 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Magazine, Viva. "Favourite Things: Actor & Playwright Jess Sayer - Viva". www.viva.co.nz. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "Graduates". The Actors' Program. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Shortland Street makes TV history with the first gay on-screen wedding". 4 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "Runaway success for Shortland Street newcomer Jess Sayer". Stuff. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  8. ↑ Metro Magazine (15 August 2019). "What I Ate: Actor Jess Sayer, co-starring in the play Mr Red Light".
  9. ↑ "Jess Sayer". www.playmarket.org.nz. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  10. ↑ Bailey, Kylie (4 July 2025). "Shorty star Jess Sayer engaged to her on-screen ex". Now to Love.
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