Tofiga Fepulea'i | |
|---|---|
 Tofiga Fepulea'i (left) | |
| Born | Tofiga Fepulea'i February 5, 1974 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Education | Rongotai College |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Comedian |
Tofiga Fepulea'i (born February 5, 1974) is a New Zealand-based actor and comedian of Samoan descent best known as a member of the stand-up comedy duo Laughing Samoans.
Fepulea'i was born and grew up in Wellington, New Zealand. [1] His mother is Fuamago Malae Malagamaali'i Fepulea'i from Papa Sataua, Falealupo, Sagone and Fasito'outa and his father is Tu'ua Semurana Fepulea'i from Fusi Safotulafai and Sale'aula, Savai’i. [2]
He was educated at Rongotai College.
Fepulea'i's first stand-up comedy show was called Laughing with Samoans. First performed at the New Zealand Fringe Festival in Wellington in 2003 it changed name and became a duo performed with Eteuati Ete called the Laughing Samoans. Fepulea'i and Ete have toured this show around New Zealand, places in the Pacific, Australia and North America. [3] Title of their shows include Laughing with Samoans (2003), A Small Samoan Wedding (2005), Off Work (2007), and Choka Block (2011) with DVD's produced too. [3] In 2010 they made a television series The Laughing Samoans at Large. [3] The Laughing Samoans disbanded in 2016.
Among the characters Fepulea'i and Ete perform in the Laughing Samoans are two women, Aunty Tala and her niece, Fai. [3] Scholar Sarina Pearson says of these characters, "Whether Fepulea‘i and Ete are enacting a relatively straightforward parody of women or performing yet another layer of gender inversion by parodying fa‘afafine is ambiguous." [3]
In April 2017 Fepulea'i premiered his first solo show called I Gan'tBelive It in Auckland, with presentations in Wellington and Samoa. [2]
The first acting role for Fepulea'i in a feature film was in 2020 in the film Take Home Pay. [4]
In 2021 his show Sorry bout it was part of the New Zealand Comedy Festival national tour and features James Nokise as the opening act. [5] [6] [4]
Fepulea'i was a youth worker for 12 years and he has a company 3Sons that hold school holiday programmes for Pasifika boys called o a’u lea (this is me) about wellbeing and identity. [4]
Alongside Inangaro Vakaafi, Fepulea'i has been co-hosting a mid-morning radio show called Island Time on Radio 531pi (Pacific Media). [7]
He appeared as a contestant on season 5 of Taskmaster New Zealand . [8] He was ill for the show's studio segments, so his position was filled in by previous contestants Madeleine Sami, Matt Heath, Josh Thomson, Bubbah and Chris Parker.
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