EP 30 - Theo Dāvid

It's the Flavor Podcast Network.

Island Roots Auckland Ways.

This one's for the Brown brothers and sisters who want to be one with themselves, their culture, their identity, their roots.

This is Island Roots Auckland Ways.

It's holler for love everyone and welcome back to Island Roots Auckland Ways.

Hey everyone, week knew me, week knew you.

Okay, But by the time you hear this, I'm still going with seventy five has. Hopefully I'm not struggling because as a time of recording a little bit struggle.

I feel like maybe your first week will be difficult because you're getting into the routine. But I mean, you've already got the meal prepping down, girl, You've already got the mindset. I feel yes like you wanted to start seventy five hard before you did. But we we see to Maz, we all see two mares in the Flavor studio. You cannot start something five year.

Before the Radio Awards because we need to get drunk the radio.

We bloody won it.

We didn't.

Who this week on the podcast is Theo David.

O King, a true icon and he's on the most iconic TV show in New Zealand. His story short Street. I really wanted to introduce him by going is it you?

Is it me?

No, it's Theodavid. But then I was like, that's really critic a little bit.

A little bit if I linked.

Into it, embraced the silliness as our friend created tarriage or now I would have said, but.

Yeah, well here is the chat. Now.

Welcome back to another episode of Island Routes Auckland Ways. We have the incredible, multi talented, amazing Shorty Streetsir, Theo, David and the building. A listener of the podcast, so we love.

But do you still live in clean?

I don't live in Clontalkland button right, My parents are still out there them every week. Take them outside the house and this house in New Zealand, house where grew up.

Exacting thing doesn't work out. Welcome to Alan Roots Auckland Ways. And you'll know from listening that every episode we talk about what we love about home. So whatever homers to you, whether that is Clinton or we currently live where you feel most grounded. What is home to you and what do you love about it? We'll start off first, Alyssa, do you care to start off things for us?

Oh? I'm really having to think now, I think going off the Clinton HATI Clinton.

Everyone always talks about, But there's this Clanton.

And I remember Clinton town Sinton when it was a New world and now it's a pack and Save.

I also.

So, I yeah, my dad used to take me every Monday night, so you stay my Dad's every Monday night.

After swimming.

He would take me to Mecca's at Clinton, which is also next to T A B.

But that's clear.

I mean after a while I was like, Dad, I don't want to do Meccas anymore. So we graduated to the Brandy's Roast, which is also in.

The same conflict.

Yeah.

Yeah, so Clinton Town Center, that's where it's sat.

Do you reckon? They brought a Pack and Save there because that's Clinton, of course, but they still have New world and Sophomore, which I.

Like, Yeah, it's not me. I don't know of many new worlds.

There's a New worlds my money sub.

What's that about?

What is it about food?

Stuff? Pack and so be cheap? They'd be eating that up in the price of heart.

Are you a pack and Save shopper for you?

When I was living in Clinton, because that was like down the road, I loved it. They never did bags. They yet to grab a box.

In your One thing about peck your own.

Save us our because I love peking.

Shout Cleveland shopping, what loves of my mind free. I always think about this. This is my Roman Empire. The fact there is a warehouse in Clinton.

Literally and it's huge.

It's actually really big, and you can always find stuffinite that's Crazy's.

Like our landmarket. How far do you have from.

Clinton from Clinton Warehouse? But then also behind the warehouse there's the library. This even lean is it a whims of course, there's a laundry mass laun.

Get into it, a pharmacy and doctor, a post office, everything you need, everything you could possibly need, and also wild people just some.

Some characters.

And then there's the Cleanton Bakery as well.

Yeah, people say that'd be a good ass bakery and.

I think it's good.

Okay, okay, baking and slice that is what I recommend. Note you gotta get a slice slice Okay.

They also say that potato top pie was pretty good.

Yeah, I work went over in the weekend and she writes she said it was a.

Never had You better put some respect one.

But also don't flock there at once.

We need to get you. Yeah, like, actually it's not that good at all, don't.

Actually terrible rated?

Yeah, that was such.

A good one.

I think.

Then what I love about homes So the gonut you so classic, Like I went home yesterday, I had guli with rice and it's just so simple but so good feeds the soul. There's nothing like well that eo.

Do you know whenever you tell your nonsemone mates about they sort of hold it in respect to it more so than you. Like, if you say you're busy on Sunday, they'll be like, do you have okay? All good?

I feel like even.

Though Sunday is one of my days off my friends, no, Sundays might not be the best day to try and might hang out because there's always going to be stuff to do and there's always going to be a family.

Lunch and is the day of the law the day.

Of the law? Yeah yeah, yeah, God, bless.

You, God, bless you listening. Well, thank you Alyssa for sharing your blessing. Yeah, what do you love about?

I love? I love And it's not exclusive to South Auckland, but it's those you know, those bongo chips, the Green Packer, namely the best flavor. But I don't know something about today. Just when I see that pecker, it just reminds me of like, oh, that's the like looking way dairy suns. There's all like. And when I see those ships, I'm always reminded of my like my mum beck in the early two thousands, she's still alive, by begging the early two thousands, when housey was a massive thing a she

Auklands are superior green Gurley or pink gurly.

Okay, this is when the me being brought up with a white mom really, because bongo wasn't huge, but my dad would always bring freak what's it called?

It was like.

No, no, it was like it was like a mix and it.

Was called like.

Yes, So that was that's my bongo.

These are some hood snacks per years.

Really brings you back.

I was allowed to go to housy, not always see it stay home.

Oh we never win. We would just drop you just do the drop off face. Whenever they would lose, they'd be like it's your attitude.

And then you'd be like and housing has really evolved with the times and now do it over zoos, especially during COVID, and you would have like your eight your eighth, Yeah, and like the housing ladies, they're fast with it. There's a lot at steak Yeah. Money, I can't see truly.

Bring that back.

And this cost a little bit crisis. Well THEO thank you for joining us. People will know you best. Airs really yummy. So on Shortland Street, tell us about your journey way before Shortland Street when you first started acting. We talked a little bit about it.

Off the mate. So I did my first ever drama all acting workshop with Massive Theater Company back in twenty ten. And this was while this was my first year in high school as well. I went to seek Kendigan's College. We said three names, that's right. I was there on a Rugby scholarship, and so I remember my first memories of drama, also my first memories of rugby and how it is clashed and then back I think I might

From Glee when he was remember the season, Yeah, when he was like having to like.

Or am I And you know, the more I listened to like actors, namely some more Nectars talk about their how they got into theater, it's always because like rugby was the opposing thing.

Yeah, and I think there are a lot of us with the same story where we were like, man, we had this rugby thing, but we also, you know, we had this adrenaline rush from being on stage. So it was kind of the know which way to choose. Ended up choosing drama. Sat Kings to decided just to change my rugby scholarship to a drama one. Yeah, it was, honestly,

Then and so you had stuck with them.

Yeah, they had stuck with me, to be honest, because I was like, like with my mom. Mom definitely can be a headache at times. And I remember it was my final year of school and I called Samantha Scott, who is the artistic director of a massive company, and I was just like, hey, I could go to drama school or I could stay in Auckland and train with you. What do you reckon? And she was very unbiased. She was like, this is what to CARDI can offer you.

Oh.

She called me and she goes, hey, for you really out of the blue, do you have a Shakespeare monologue handy, And like, I love Shakespeare all of high school, so my immediate unswer was yes. And she said can you

I feel like I feel like I just heard the plot for a movie right now.

One phone called Yeah. No, It's just there's so many listens you can get from it. But I feel like I take something from that story every time I come back to it, so there's not like there's not one thing to learn from it.

I guess Yeah.

Third pop up globe which was the Yeah, which was the globe he had rebuilt in Auckland for about four years that got shut down in twenty twenty COVID happened. Arch jobs are really scarce. Twenty twenty one, rolled around got this audition from Shorties after having auditioned for them, like five other times.

Oh okay, so you had auditions before, which.

Is a common story. Actually yeah, excuse me. And then you know the role opened it uh late thirties, early forties, Tongulans sit in the waiting room like all these old dectors walk out, and I'm just like, what are you up to out go and do an audition? Yeah, get called back on the Thursday. And I remember when I

Wow, that's weird.

How this like a phone The phone call happens to like pop up a lot of ye but yeah, a lot of fast turned around in my life. It's kind of ye. Stay ready, it's incredible. That was long. Sorry about that, My gosh.

No, no, no no, but I have so many questions. First of all, as someone who wanted to pursue acting as a drama practitioner, if you will. I used to walk into auditions and oh my, go's so cringe and be like, I'm going to be the first time one woman to win the Best Actress Oscar Yeah, and then I'm never doesn't get the job. But Toy for Caadi was always the thing that people would be like, get experienced, then go to toy for CADDI like, that is your break?

Did you?

Like do?

Like what was your thinking around not going to Toy for Caddy? Because to me, or at least at the time, when I was even in first year of unis studying drama, I was still like, yeah, I'm just gonna do one year here and then I'm gonna go Toy for Caddy. Like you know, I thought I was the man, but like, why why was it not the right decision for you?

Well, I mean, I'm sure I think that it wasn't the right decision for me, and I think it would like if you ask someone else, they'll probably go, I don't really like what massive does, so I'll go here. But I don't think theo. I I couldn't learn drama or theater in an institution, like I couldn't know if something is compulsory to me then I kind of feel repelled by it. Then I don't really want to do

I think it's good for young aspiring actors to know that these options, Yeah.

And so I leaned more towards Massive because at the basis of all this workers this it's this French idea called complicity. And I don't think it has a like an English translation, but what it roughly translates to is the secret between people or the game between people. And it's just this idea that if you ever walk out, even in life all but mainly, if you walk out on stage with someone else, like the rapport I have worth mes here, it will be totally different to the

I love that. That's so cool.

This is as someone I feel like when I was studying drama, everyone would always be like.

Oh, what do you prefer? Stage or screen? But like you've had this extensive pop.

Up globe history. It's a big part of your TV. But then you're also your day job. It's on the TV, So what is it?

Is it stage or screen?

Stage? By five? Like you just theater kids, the theater paid as much as screen or film that I don't think anyone would ever truly. Yeah, there's nothing like how we are talking now. Like a good play will feel like you're looking into people's eyes for the first time and you know they might feel something and you'll feel it too. And especially with screen, you can you know, you can have REGOs and you can fake everything on stage. If you see a performance, and if they feel awkward,

Yeah, and there's no.

And to that point, to the show that you give tonight is for that audience, and you will never give that show even though you're saying the same lines, doing the same moves tomorrow night. You might stumble over a line and it might be funny and the audience will laugh. Nobody else will ever get that stumble over that line ever again, So what about you?

For sure, there's something about just like letting go of every inhibition and just being like fuck.

It, you know, like that's like the overarching phrase.

Yeah, Like there's something about being like, okay, we'll ever who's it like this, but I'm going to make a choice and like maybe the choice isn't going to pay off and that's okay, but the choice might pay off and then everyone laugh, you know, Like there's just something about stage that.

Yeah.

And also I just don't think personally not built. I'm not built to be a screen actor, but stage stage all the way, Like it's in the moment and then when it's done, just let it go.

Yeah, it's done.

We've probably already talked about this, but for all our new listeners, would you go back to your acting day?

Yes, yes, I'm curious for context. I have a drama degree, so my undergrads and Pacific Studies and drama. And I think I realized when I was doing drama that I like the behind the scenes, like I like the producing putting people in the room. But I don't know if I enjoyed. That's not true. I love acting. Acting is so much fun, but I found it really hard to let go of a character or like not hold on to whatever they were going through. How do you shake off an emotional day on set? Like?

How do you become THEO again?

We'll acting. We're in the arts. So even in these dark moments, there does have to be some a little bit of joy in what you're doing, because then otherwise you're just whipping yourself and there has to be coming out of it. There has to be hope. But for me, it's always been there. It's always been about holding on too. Like I like, I love to pretend. I love this craft so much. I know that when they call cut, I can just drop this And this is what my

Year, like literally exiting the space.

Literally literally, you know, just chuck Chuck a podcast on there's a small one called Ira.

Podcast.

Check that one on space.

We ate.

But I think, actually I'm thinking so much about like my training and how so much of my training was like Stanislavski based, which is like realism, realism like being you know, not being able to let go. So yeah, you can google it and find out. But knowing that, I don't know, maybe if I've been training people going tom worry illustrates, pretend you don't mean to think about that time that your grand dad died, you know.

To your point, though, I think the mythod the mythod actors cop a lot of flak because you know, they go out and build up barn because their characters are carpenter of something. But like that's just one way of getting to the character and there's no right way. Like at the end of the day, whatever gets you to that point is kind of not as important as getting to that point unless you go home and you know,

And real talk.

We've lost a lot of people because they you know, they didn't know how to handle coming out of character and then they turned to like all these different substances. So it's real. It's definitely real.

Conver to have are the many specific and acting right now.

A lot heaps are untapped potential. Like the one thing about being a brown actor in New Zealand is that we've been pushed this narrative that like when you make it the question, they're always asking you what makes you different from that brown? What makes you different? But it's like and then our own people start saying that to us, and it's like, okay, what makes you different from the guy down the road. But isn't the idea that it doesn't matter who's eating at the table, it's just as

Truth, I'm thinking it was a strange right now.

Radio once we might be on fourth of.

Has the you are obviously very proud to be some What villagees are you from?

Ah?

My come to you by way or by muscle?

And now okay, muscles right next to my village?

Oh really? Yeah, I haven't heard of that villain. Only know my villages.

But what is so he pretty much just see it.

I don't know how.

So we've got some town?

Is that?

Okay?

Yep, city girls, that's what we are.

I don't go back often, and I know I'm going to look back on my life and go you should have gone back more.

Has there ever been anything with Billyami? We were like, culturally that would be such a no, like what the pick?

Don't don't do that?

Do you know what? They've actually been really good because we have a Salmon advisor and it is like all our dialogue, like any storylines that potentially might cause friction with our community. They're really quick to get her in the room and goes this all right, Bella, Bella, she plays my sister on the show. Yeah, we just try and ham up the brother sister dynamic for all the time, and yeah we hate each other.

Oh that's so good, and of course for many years. But the Roger, that's right, you know.

I don't know if you remember this episode that he wrote, but it was when was on the show and his brother was on the show, and there was the storyline where someone patient came in and Robbie Mangi's character clocked him and was like, oh no, please, don't don't come here, and one of the other niss was like, he speaks someone. So the someone patient goes, gets dealt with, leaves the hospital and Robbie's character is just being like dark the whole day, and he was like, what's going on with him?

One thing that I remember this was always stick in my mind. It must have been like Rugby World Cup time, and you know how people are so haughty, maybe not as hearty as the Tonguans, but very hatty. This was

I was like, oh my god, there's white people.

Yeah. All it takes is just to see that. Yeah, one person to go, I'm going to give this a grreat.

That was iconic era.

Was via the player. It was.

Do you have any goals? And acting like is it like a dream position that you want to hold? Like do you want to end up?

I want to end up on superhero movie. I think superhero movies have always been like, well get me excited about Yeah, I'd love I think the structure of my career, I'd love to be able to transition between theater and film and and movies. Did Washington has a He's a great actor, but he's got a really great career because he's able to do that. I'm also not getting any younger, So I think we spoke about rome and Juliet before. I think Romeo is like the one role where I

Because you played Paris, I have yeah, anywhere.

Else I don't know if you. I played a characterical cludier and much do about now? Oh yes, I played the Thetaming of the Shrew. Nice Richard the third a fellow that a couple, but I think, yeah, the young lovers, I mean you just have to say his name and people have like connotations to today. Just to be able to provide for my family financially, whether that's doing the stage stuff for the big movies and stuff, I think that's the big, big goal.

Oh that's so cool. For any aspiring actors out there, what would be your advice.

To do the thing. As much as I love drama classes, as much as I love studying Shakespeare in your English class, this is a very action based occupation, hobby job. So yeah, you're going to do these internals, but make sure you're able to get up on your feet and do the job. There's lots of community theaters in Auckland, there are lots

Has there been a stage show recently that you've gone through that you were like far out?

That got me?

Yeah?

I went to I mean a nice top on about massive theater company a lot, but they had a show called I Love You.

Yeah.

I felt like that was like massive theater work to a t. It was like physical and parts. It was their Storian parts.

What a beautiful well yeah, and like it was.

Just them being them, yeah, and not trying to answer anything for us and just going putting it out there. Whatever lens you view this with, have a jam. But yeah, actually I did see Priscilla like a couple of years ago, and that one was like at the Civic.

Oh that was Queen.

I was like, holy, this is what this can be.

Yeah, one more question, because I'm just curious if you had to act alongside anyone who would be a.

Probably there's a her, her name, she's not acting anymore. Her name is Denise.

I don't know if you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I hope I'm not outing her story, but she was with an acting agency and she said that after she fell pregnant, they dropped you. But she is honestly like one of the most powerful actors less extras I've ever been on stage with, I've ever seen and performance. She's one of those people that can just stand there and you just go. You just want to watch it all the time. So Denise, if you hear this, please get back into it the service to by raising your son.

Well, before we go, we want to play a little rapid fire Kim. As you would know. This is a part of our podcast, just for us to have a little bit of one to wrap up the pod Letdlebox is a movie review website and on your profile you can highlight up your top four films of all time. So what are your top four films of all time?

And we can give you ours as well.

Yeah sure, yeah, I will go Avengers one. Okay, just this idea of people and then they did too much. Yeah yeah, Venges one. I would go Stump the yard. These are like influential movies growing up to me. I watched that movie every day for the school holidays. Two we spoke about which I really love and Roman Juliet n ninety six. If you haven't seen it, go and watch it.

If I've got it on a hard drive somewhere if you need it.

Amazing.

It's my favorite. My top four, I think, oh gosh, I've been waiting. My goodness, okay, my top My first one would be Rocky Horror Pic sure my second favorite musical behind.

Me making that like a sequel or something.

Oh my ho To be honest, it's so campy and like almost ugly, like grotesque that I feel like you shouldn't.

You can't remake Wow that.

Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah, anyway, the secondest Wana. Obviously, people have like some criticisms of it and blah blah blah blah.

But I think I just remember.

Going to that for the first time and like being like, oh my god, like I feel like I am one, and my little baby cousin was like, oh, it's.

Not cool on screen to one of the characters. And it's like moments like that.

Where you're like, this is representation, you know. My third is One Thousand Ropes, which was made by the same guy who made The Orator. But one thousand Ropes to me is just I give it as a reference whenever people ask me for advice on their work, especially if it's like a pacificer dark a themed piece of like body of work. I'm always like, go watch One Thousand Ropes because they do it so good. They do that, they just do it so it's such.

A good movie.

And then my last one would be Jordan Peele's get Out, which I always tell people was.

My comfort film. I love that movie. That's my comfort film. I love that.

No, really good movie.

Yes, so good.

I'd be scared of that.

It's scary.

That's it's more like because it feels real horror through racism, like life.

That's the one about the white family and the lobotomies. Yes, I love. I don't know, I'm not a movie person a. I like Lelant Disney movie on all time. I like on his one. Yeah, I just feel like there's so any like that, just like epitomizes the mid two thousands for me.

Yeah, the soundtrack on the sound soundtrack, bro, I've got it saved on my Spotify.

I also like The Lovely Bones.

You Are Deranged.

No, that's not my comfort film. It's really sad. It's such a sad movie. But so well done.

What's her first name? Salmon is the last name of the main character her monologue at the start of the film. Yeah, that was one of my things, right, I be like that was like the thing I would pull out in my back pocket.

Oh yeah, it's yeah, it's heavy. It's heavy, as I think. I watched it when I was a kid because I was on TV three and like, you just watched What's on the TV and you've seen it since, like you, Yeah, I've watched it many times since. And I don't really have any other standouts, to be.

Honest, you literally have one more. Surely there's one more, one more.

I like. Oh see, I like kids moving.

Because they end up having an effect on Yeah.

Leland's stitch is such a good one. The soundtrack for that hurts as well. I don't know.

Mes okay, Ma's doesn't know anything like song lyrics.

Yeah, I'm a bloody radio host, don't even anything.

So you know what, Yeah, you keep your three out of four three. Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you for having me your award business podcast, and he gave us chocolates.

Literally, what you appreciate you bro? You guys, do I actually remember meeting you for the first time outside. I know.

I have you guys been before? Ye, I didn't get at I caught the vibe and I was like, I thinks might be not with us, right, So I was like, I love you.

What were you doing or someone's birthday? And I was drunk And that was my first time at Rudy and my last since.

Are you a big frequenter of the town.

No, no, this was maybe two years ago. Yeah, I very really go out. Okay, pretty boring my dad now Yeah.

So yeah, thank you so much, such a treat.

Thank you back.

And we'll see you next week on Islands Aukland Wet. Don't forget to follow us on the socials, you guys.

Every every morning I get on my zoom and I do the social So can you just comment, please.

Help us out. Please, We'll see you next week.

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