BROKENWOOD AND OTHER TV FAMILY AFFAIRS
The seventh season of The Brokenwood Mysteries launches this weekend on TVNZ and boasts a cast full of family connections.
After a career on stage and screen since the 1950s, Elizabeth McRae became a household name for her long-running role as Shortland Street receptionist Marjorie Brasch. The 84-year-old also stars in Brokenwood as nosey Mrs Marlowe — and daughter Kathy, an actress and director, also features in the show. The pair have worked together numerous times — including a stint where Kathy played her mum’s fictional adopted daughter on Shortland Street in the early 90s.
Amber Curreen, another former Shortland Street actor, is also in Brokenwood alongside her son
Curreen-Tukiwaho. It’s a true family business as dad, Tainui Tukiwaho, is also an actor who has starred in Step Dave and The Sounds.
This season of Brokenwood, which has won international acclaim and screens all over the world, will also feature sisters Rebecca and Katrina Hobbs, whose other sister, Jessica, is a director on The Crown. Their brother Chris was also on Shortland Street.
And the detective drama’s lead, Neill Rea ,is joined by his brother Iain for an episode. Staying on the small screen — the king of Shortland Street, Michael Galvin, who has played Chris Warner since the show started 29 years ago, had beautiful daughter Lily make a cameo in Ferndale recently.
Meanwhile, Shorty alumnus Robbie Magasiva recently worked on rugby drama Head High with daughter Sophie, who was crew on the series. The show also had a mother and son casting with stage and screen siren Theresa Healey starring on the show and her son, Zac O’Meagher, also appearing in the series.