10 YEARS ON BOY STARS’ CHOICE AS REUNION Boy James Rolleston
Woman’s Day reunites the child stars of Boy for the firstt time since the Taika Waititi film’s release in March 2010
Ten years ago, James Rolleston’s life was ababout to change forever. He’d just finished filming the lead in Boy and after its release, in March 2010, it would become the highestgrossing New Zealand film of all time.
“I just thought it was going to be this little film in New Zealand,” says James. “But it was massive.”
He landed the lead role of Boy – an East Coast kid who reconnects with his dad when he gets out of jail – after auditioning for another role at Opotiki Primary School in the Bay of Plenty. “I was just an 11-year-old kid with no previous acting experience from Opotiki,” smiles James, now 22. “But I was a little bit of a playful and cheeky fella, which is like Boy.” Filming spanned most of 2009 and in that time James fell in love with movie-making, thanks to director and writer Taika Waititi guiding him through his first role on the big screen. “Taika made iit so fun,” he says. “It was like hanging out with a fun uncle rather than making a movie.” Since then, James has been acting full-time, appearing in TheDarkHorse, TheDeadLands and PorkPie, and moving to Auckland in 2016. But he admits life has had its challenges. For one, he was in a serious car accident in 2017, leaving him in intensive care for a month. With a severely damaged leg, punctured lung and serious head injuries, his life hung in the balance, and it was a long road to recovery. “It was touch and go for a bibit,” he admts.
Today, James says he’s still proud of his first film anand its message. “There’s a rawness to Boy. The storyline, the characters and even the scenery are raw,” he says. “I feel happy when I see it because that’s home for me, back down the coast. It’s where I feel like me.”
“It was kind of funny on set as everyone thought I was the experienced one, but I really wasn’t,” laug laughs RickyLee Waipuka-Rus Waipuka-Russell, who had modelled be before landing the role of C Chardonnay.
She was ju just 13 when cast as Boy’s crus crush and admits that off-scree off-screen they hit it off instantly – b but purely as friends. Says RickyLee, “Our families are still close; we spent Christm Christmas together about two ye years ago. We’re still good frie friends.”
She believ believes her appearance in the film “definite “definitely opened many doors” and she now works full-time in television an and film.
“I was nev never prepared for how big the film wa was going to be,” RickyLee enthuses. ““I remember someone asking for m my autograph the first time. I just did a sc scribble! I didn’t have a signature – I was just 14!”
Since thenn, then, the confident 24-yearold has appeeared appeared in shows like Waka
Warriors, ThisisPiki, Te Manawa and Astroman. And she has a short film out later this year called IamParadise.
But romance wise, the actress confesses it’s been hard. “You need someone who is really understanding and supportive in order for a long-term relationship to work out while working in this industry.”
In fact, the brunette beauty took a year out in 2017 to take stock of her life. “I went to Argentina and learnt Spanish and dance,” says RickyLee, who lives in Auckland with friends. “I had a think about acting, if I wanted to get back into or not. It naturally did happen when I returned.
“It’s odd hours and you never know when you’re getting booked again, but a passi passion for my culture and storytelling br brought me back to the industry.”