Ange Fitzharris – actor, chef, nanny
I’VE worn a lot of different hats in my life. I’ve been a pastry chef, a waitress, a nanny and an actor – my main role these days. When I waited tables it was at Elements Cafe and I still come here long after I worked my last shift. I’ve always kind of liked their ethos – sustainability, commitment to using local produce and generally being ecofriendly.
Mostly I’ll order the steak or the fish of the day. They line catch their fish so I know I’m eating responsibly sourced food. Right now the fish of the day is tarakihi served with a warm potato, green bean and fresh herb salad with crispy capers and a salsa verde.
I suppose the thing I like as much as the food is the family atmosphere. The people are genuinely friendly. I started out in the kitchen and made it to the front of house before my acting career took a leap forward.
I’m not sure where the acting bug came from. None of my family are anything remotely connected to the arts. My mum is a sergeant at airport security and my dad is the chief inspector for the Department of Corrections. Not exactly thespian roots.
I remember my first gig. I was 6 years old and I had to throw a bunch of daffodils into the air and catch them for a Lotto ad. I guess that’s when the seed was sown.
I’ve dipped in and out of acting. I trained as a pastry chef knowing paid acting jobs were hard to come by. You have to have a fallback. But acting is definitely my first love.
There’s something exhilarating about pretending to be someone else. Plus, you get to play dress-ups. Everyone likes dressing up, right?
I like the challenge of becoming someone else. And I’ve been all sorts: An emotional wreck, a school whore. I’m about to play the southern belle daughter of the local sheriff who