Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Local actor
He’s worked on West End and taken his rock opera to American audiences.
However, it’s a big song and dance in praise of low carb beer that may become Tom Knowles’ most famous role.
The Blenheim actor and musician has put his talents to good use in a recent commercial celebrating the launch of DB Export Gold Extra Low Carb. The I’m Drinking it for You music video premiered just prior to Valentine’s Day.
The near-four-minute R&B ballad is paired with a video featuring a Kiwi couple played by Knowles and Keshia Paulse.
The song plays on the idea that the act of drinking a low-carb beer could be a gesture for your significant other, by recognising male and female drinkers equally.
Knowles said shooting the video was an enjoyable experience and was full of praise for his co-star.
‘‘I hadn’t met Keshia before but I’m glad I did – she’s incredible.’’
As well as lending his vocals to the song, Knowles was also called on to lead the video’s choreography.
‘‘The dance moves are mine – they didn’t have anyone to choreograph the moves and they saw that I’d done a bit of dance before in my career and asked if I was into doing it – the whole thing kind of snowballed from there.’’
The past few years have been extremely busy for Knowles since graduating from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School.
He has travelled to London to intern in various Westend musicals including his London debut in Covent Garden with a 40 piece orchestra, toured NZ and Australia extensively and nationwide tours of Grease and Saturday Night Fever.
TV watchers might already know him through roles in The Brokenwood Mysteries, the earnest chap cooking a roast for his in-laws on a Countdown ad or in a commercial for American Express.
‘‘All those roles are similar – I’m either the dopey dad, a beer lover or a terrible chef – they all feed into each other but it’s nice to incorporate the music and singing in [the DB ad].’’
In 2017, Tom premiered his selfwritten original rock opera, ‘Allergic To Love: curse of the 80s’ before touring America and Mexico.
‘‘They were very impressed with my rock kick from day one, so I think Allergic to Love definitely set into this project too.’’
Despite the international schedule, the Auckland-based Marlborough Boys College alumni still makes regular trips home, including recent shows at Hunter Wines and Biddy Kates.
‘‘I definitely feel the support of Blenheim behind me – it’s also great receiving messages on Facebook from people I haven’t seen since high school saying they’d seen me on the ads – it’s always a nice way to reconnect, especially since I talked such a big game at high school, it’s nice to have something there that I can call upon now – it’s not just smoke and mirrors.’’