A WOMAN OF MANY PARTS
New Zealander of the Year Jennifer Te Atamira Ward-Lealand reflects on her formidable 40-year acting career, Equity’s biggest achievements during her time as President, and her passion for te reo Māori.
What was your first professional acting gig?
When I was 18, I joined the Town and Country Players and toured the lower half of the North Island. We’d arrive in some tiny little town, do a show at the school, then set up in the local hall to perform three separate shows in one evening, concluding with Chekhov’s, The Bear. After that, there’d be a potluck dinner with the audience. Just lovely.
Do you remember when you joined Equity and why?
In 1983, my first year out of Theatre Corporate Drama School. Honestly, it was just the done thing. There was always a card show before starting rehearsals and you would have been on the outer if you weren’t a member.
Why did you want to be an actor?
I first knew I wanted to do this when I was seven years old and my dad took me to a rehearsal of a play he was in — Oedipus at Unity Theatre, Wellington (now BATS Theatre). I walked into that rehearsal room and knew immediately that this was where I belonged — it was an epiphany. I went home and promptly informed my mother that I was going to be an actor. So my dad was my inspiration.
Where did your commitment to, and passion for, te reo Māori come from?
I think I’ve always known that it wasn’t a matter of if I’d learn the language but when. When I trace this feeling back, its genesis was at Te Aro primary school in Wellington. I had two influential teachers there — both Māori women — who made it their business to take us to ‘Māori Club’ at Ngāti Pōneke and to sing waiata Māori at assembly. So the sound and feel of te reo Māori was in my ears and on my tongue from a very early age.
It was in 2000 that I knew I had to make a start to learn. At the time, Michael [Hurst] was directing the feature film Jubilee, with lots of terrific Māori actors. It was Michael’s birthday during the shoot, so I went to join him for lunch on set. Naturally, all the Māori actors gathered to give a mihi to Michael and then a waiata, and then turned to us to respond, and every waiata I’d ever known had flown from my mind. I remember feeling so acutely embarrassed because it was a fairly basic and everyday tikanga of this country where I was born and I should at least have had some familiarity with the protocol. I realised that I no longer wanted to be so separate from this living culture that surrounded me.
Why is it important for you to champion te reo Māori?
Te iwi Māori connect to the land through whakapapa and Pākehā through our lived experience. The language is fundamentally connected to the natural world and is a window to te ao Māori. Learning the language gives us an opportunity to get more deeply in touch with our ‘Aotearoatanga’. Over the years I’ve been learning, I’ve connected to my Pākehā ancestry in a much deeper and more profound way than I ever had or would have. It’s also the most beautiful, poetic, witty, deep and naughty language I’ve ever had the pleasure to learn. My hope is that that te reo is heard, seen and spoken throughout the country, and is given the worth it is due as one of our official languages.
In late 2017, Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and [the late] Te Wharehuia Milroy bestowed on me the name Te Atamira (meaning ‘the stage’). At the time, I felt unworthy of such an honour, but I see what they did there — as well as acknowledging my work as an actor, kua takoto te mānuka, they laid down a challenge to me to use my time on the stage, which I’m lucky enough to have now, to champion te reo Māori. I will be forever grateful to them both — and to all my te reo teachers.
What’s been your favourite acting role to date and why?
Too many to list! But here are six of my top 10: Barbara in August: Osage County; Stevie in The Goat; Martha in That Face; Ouisa in Six Degrees of Separation; Arkadina in The Seagull; and Marlene Dietrich in my cabaret, Falling in Love Again.
What impact has COVID-19 had on your work as an actor?
Everything disappeared. I think the record for me was five jobs being cancelled in one day. Once I got over the shock, I tapped into my resilience again, reminding myself that life as a freelance performer has always been like this and it would be okay, work would come back.
Who approached you to be Equity NZ President?
In 2008, Simon Whipp approached me about taking up the role. Initially, I turned it down as I was very busy and on a number of boards, but after a long chat with him and Simon Burke, [the then] president of Equity in Australia, I decided that if I was really serious about making NZ actors’ lives better, then I should ‘just do it’.
What’s been Equity NZ’s biggest achievement you’ve seen as president?
It has to be growing our membership and building a strong community. The fact that nearly all graduating actors from our training institutions see the value of Equity in their lives is so rewarding. In the recent submission process for the Screen Industry Workers Bill, there was political engagement right across the membership.
How hard is it to make a living as an actor in NZ?
As hard as anywhere in the world — we’re just a smaller pond.
How do you sustain and build a career in NZ?
I’ve always maintained that versatility is the name of the game in our profession. Many of our members are directing, writing, producing, MC-ing and teaching. Try and find an outlet for the skills you have. It goes without saying that creating your own work is an excellent way of developing your skills.
What’s the biggest misconception about life as an actor?
There is a perception that actors float around their home, spouting lines, adopting various characters, emoting all over the place and being terribly dramatic. But, truthfully, most actors have to be incredibly practical in order to make their sometimes-haphazard careers work. We have remarkable resilience and I’d argue that we coped with the recent lockdown even better than people working nine-to-five because we are used to not knowing when our next job is coming.
What is the one thing you would change, if you could, about NZ actors’ rights?
I’d like there to be negotiated agreements for us in all areas of our work. Having award rates established is a mark of professionalism. I’d also like there to be more strict criteria for productions seeking large screen grants from government that would make it mandatory for NZ performers to be given co-lead or second-lead roles. This is NZ taxpayer money we are talking about and the opportunity to develop the profile of our talented actors must be a guiding principle. Lastly, residuals. NZ performers must be able to share in the profits and exploitation of successful productions, as our overseas colleagues do.
How did you feel when you were named New Zealander of the Year?
Hugely surprised and honoured. I think it gives a great boost for the arts in NZ and it certainly is an honour to be representing my fellow performers. It’s fair to say, though, that it has been a strange time: three weeks after I was awarded the title, the country shut down in order to combat COVID-19. All the speaking engagements I was due to fulfil in my capacity as NZOTY went up in a puff of smoke. I feel like I’m only just getting back on the horse and looking forward to speaking to as many groups as possible over the next six or so months about all the things I love — actors, the arts in general and, of course, te reo Māori.
What is your most important piece of advice to up-and-coming actors?Read. Stay informed and treat the next role you play as a chance to educate yourself. Go to the theatre and hang out with actors there. You’ve no idea how many times I’ve been reminded of who’s out there by seeing them in the foyer. Join your union — it’s a commitment to your profession and means that we will be strong enough to make meaningful changes in our working terms and conditions.
Jennifer Ward-Lealand is the President of Equity New Zealand and a stage and screen actor with career spanning over four decades. In 2019 she was awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to theatre, film, and television, including being an outspoken and determined advocate for actors’ working conditions and pay. In 2020 she was named New Zealander of the Year in recognition of her dedication to the performing arts and her commitment to and passion for te reo Māori.
