Charge actor speaks out
and female, better actors by trying to get them ready for actual roles in the industry. This included close contact and intimate scenes. That’s acting in the real world.’’
Yesterday Naufahu admitted he was ‘‘absolutely terrified’’ of the fallout of his name being known but said he was primarily concerned with the effects on his family, including his three children and his wife of 12 years.
At his first district court appearance in 2015 he sought to have his name kept secret out of concern for his children, the eldest of whom is 13, and so he could continue working in the entertainment industry to support them.
As time went on it became clear to him that he needed to revise his position, particularly after learning that his colleagues in the industry were wrongfully being identified.
‘‘It’s such a small industry that most informed people found out anyway. I understand this caused some embarrassment to fellow industry members who had the finger pointed at them and I deeply regret that – I’ve lost friends who I’ve known for over 10 years.’’
Naufahu is well known for his four-year role as ambulance driver Sam Aleni in the soap opera Shortland Street in the early 90s, appearing in the muchloved television series’ first ever episode.
He returned in 2014 to reprise his role and has since appeared in other local series including Water Rats, All Saints and Sea Change.
Legal restrictions prevented Naufahu from going into specific details about the allegations, but he said he would be defending what he described as ‘‘ridiculous’’ and ‘‘ludicrous’’.
He had never sought to hide from the charges, he said, but wanted to properly prepare his family for the media coverage. ‘‘The biggest reason ... was to protect my kids as long as I could,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m absolutely terrified, but overall I feel it’s just the process I have to go through and I’ve got a really amazing support network, and I’ve got my kids. Honestly, it’s not about me. It’s about my family.’’