Mark Wright is a New Zealand actor, comedic entertainer, writer, and raconteur. He is a Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School graduate. He is an international Theatresports champion, has appeared for every professional theatre company in New Zealand, and toured extensively throughout Australasia. Notably: The Rocky Horror Show, Bouncers, A Way Of Life, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He has featured in some 40 different television series/programmes/specials and has won two New Zealand Film & Television awards – both for best performance. Recent theatrical appearances include
In June 2022, Wright premiered a new work 'The Gallipoli Monologues' (now titled 'Voices From Gallipoli') to great audience and critical acclaim. [1]
His films include Murder in Greenwich , Her Majesty , Dirty Dave, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, and Alex .
His television credits including Peppermint Twist, The Billy T James Show, Issues with McPhail and Gadsby, That Comedy Show, Comedy Central , and Newsflash. [2]
He has played three different characters on the iconic New Zealand series Shortland Street and also appeared on What Now , Amazing Extraordinary Friends , Power Rangers, Nothing Trivial, Terry Teo, Go Girls , and as the voices of Moa, Ichtheo and Niblicks on the animated series Kiri & Lou
He was raised in St Heliers and educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland, Selwyn College, Auckland, and Toi Whakaari. [3] He graduated from Toi Whakaari with a Diploma in Acting in 1985. [4] He was a stage actor in Wellington, and his first television appearance was as Mick Ryan in Peppermint Twist. [3]
He was the 1994 TV Guide Television Award for Best Performer in an Entertainment Programme and the 1996 TV Guide Best Actor Award. [3]
Wright is also a professional speaker. [3] [5]
His wife is Natalie Wright (nee Dennis) who played Shelley Crombie on Shortland Street from 1998-2001. [6]
Geoffrey Patrick Dolan is a New Zealand actor, singer and corporate entertainer who is probably best known in recent times as recurring character, Derrick/Thor in The Almighty Johnsons. He resides in Auckland.
Oliver Driver is a New Zealand actor, director, broadcaster and television presenter.
Nicola Kāwana is a New Zealand actress, best known for playing Huia Samuels on the longest running New Zealand television series Shortland Street. Other roles include Mercy Peak, Jackson's Wharf, Lollie in The Man Who Lost His Head and “Mad” Maggie in Apex Legends.
Josephine Davison is a New Zealand actress. She is known for playing Gina Rossi-Dodds in Shortland Street, Suzy Hong in Outrageous Fortune, and Morgana in Power Rangers S.P.D.
Olivia Tennet is a New Zealand actress and dancer best known in her home country for her role as Tuesday Warner on the nightly medical drama Shortland Street, along with several roles in television and theatre. Outside of New Zealand, she is best known for her roles in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Power Rangers RPM (2009), and the independent film Blood Punch (2013).
Adam Gardiner is a New Zealand voice, film, and television actor, most notable for his voice roles in Power Rangers. He voiced the Evil White Ranger Clone in Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Kamdor in Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, and Sledge in Power Rangers Dino Charge.
John Leigh is a New Zealand actor. He has had roles in New Zealand TV shows such as Shortland Street, Mercy Peak and as Sparky in Outrageous Fortune. He is a voice actor, and worked for the Power Rangers franchise since 2003. He has appeared in films including the role of Háma in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and as the bar-owner in Stickmen, and in the soap satire Serial Killers. In 2014 he acted in and wrote the short comedy film Snowmen.
Campbell Cooley is an American voice and television actor based in New Zealand, best known for voicing prominent villains in the Power Rangers franchise.
Cameron Rhodes is a New Zealand film and theatrical actor and director.
Lori Dungey is a New Zealand actress. Dungey was born in Canada and came to New Zealand when she performed in an arts festival during the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990. Dungey subsequently became the artistic director of the Wellington Improv Company. She has had acting roles in both film and television including Lord of the Rings films and the television series Xena and Hercules. She has also performed in New Zealand's Improv Festival.
Sarah Thomson is a New Zealand actress, known for playing roles in two series of the Power Rangers franchise, for her role in New Zealand's longest running soap opera, Shortland Street, and for playing a lead role in puppet show The Moe Show.
Emmett Skilton is a New Zealand actor and director.
Michael Galvin is a New Zealand actor, singer and playwright, well known for his role as Chris Warner on the soap opera Shortland Street, a character he has played almost since the show's debut in 1992 until 1996 and again from 2000 to present, and remains as of 2023, the only original cast member. He is the longest serving television soap opera actor in New Zealand.
Scott Wills is a New Zealand actor who has starred in several films and has also appeared on television and theatre. He won twice the prize of the best actor in New Zealand film and television awards.
James Tito is a New Zealand actor and musician. Tito is also a founding member of Māori showband the Modern Māori Quartet. He co-wrote and performed songs, with the other band members, for the Modern Māori Quartet's debut album That's Us! (2017).
Brittany Peters is a New Zealand stage, film and television actress, director, stunt performer and acting coach. She is best known for her recurring roles on the soap operas Shortland Street, as Pania Stevens (2014–2015), and in Home and Away, as Gemma Parata (2020).
Elisabeth Easther is a New Zealand actor, broadcaster, journalist and playwright. She played Carla Crozier on New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street from May 1995 to July 1996, and has since had a varied career in television, radio, journalism and playwriting. Her play Seed won the Adam NZ Play Award for Best Play in 2014.
Brynley Alexandra Stent is a New Zealand actor, comedian and scriptwriter. She appeared on the first season of the New Zealand adaptation of Taskmaster and played the character Kelly-Anne Johnson on long running New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She won the 2021 Billy T Award for best breakthrough comedian for her show Soft Carnage.
Vanessa Byrnes is a director, actress and educator in New Zealand. She has collaborated on many theatre and screen productions including feature films, short films, television commercials and theatre. As an educator she completed a PhD at the University of Waikato in 2015, titled Removing the ‘Cloak of Invisibility’: New Zealand Directors Discuss Theatre Directing Praxis. Byrnes has been in senior roles at both Toi Whakaari and Unitec Institute of Technology, leading drama training for many years. She is an experienced theatre director and as an actor was in popular television soap opera Shortland Street.