Lani Tupu (born 4 November 1955 in Auckland, New Zealand), billed
variously as Larney Tupu, John Tupu and Lani John Tupu, is a New
Zealand-born classically trained actor of Samoan descent. He was
educated at Rongotai College and Wellington Teacher's Training
College. He was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council Bursary in
1977 to enter New Zealand Drama School, where he graduated in 1978.
Lani left New Zealand for Australia in 1985 to "branch out across the
big pond."Lani Tupu has been nominated for several awards throughout
his career. These include the Best New Talent at the 1984 Feltex
Television Awards, several awards from the New Zealand Film and TV
Awards (1993) for Best Dramatic Performance and a Best Actor award for
Talk of the Town, which he also directed, at the Dream Maker Festival
in Ontario, Canada. He was also finalist for the Male Performance
Supporting Role at the 1986 Listener Film Television Awards for his
work in the film Send a Gorilla, and was nominated for Best Actor in
1985.Tupu participated in the foundation of an Australian theatre
group called The Walkers and Talkers, which is no longer running, and
has also served as an acting coach and taught "Acting for the Camera"
in Australia and New Zealand. He also runs weekly workshops on "Screen
Acting" at the Actors Centre in Sydney, Australia. He is active in
stage production, both as a director and actor, and spends
considerable time behind the camera. He directed Going Home for the
stage as well as the critically acclaimed and award-winning short film
Talk of the Town (1996).
variously as Larney Tupu, John Tupu and Lani John Tupu, is a New
Zealand-born classically trained actor of Samoan descent. He was
educated at Rongotai College and Wellington Teacher's Training
College. He was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council Bursary in
1977 to enter New Zealand Drama School, where he graduated in 1978.
Lani left New Zealand for Australia in 1985 to "branch out across the
big pond."Lani Tupu has been nominated for several awards throughout
his career. These include the Best New Talent at the 1984 Feltex
Television Awards, several awards from the New Zealand Film and TV
Awards (1993) for Best Dramatic Performance and a Best Actor award for
Talk of the Town, which he also directed, at the Dream Maker Festival
in Ontario, Canada. He was also finalist for the Male Performance
Supporting Role at the 1986 Listener Film Television Awards for his
work in the film Send a Gorilla, and was nominated for Best Actor in
1985.Tupu participated in the foundation of an Australian theatre
group called The Walkers and Talkers, which is no longer running, and
has also served as an acting coach and taught "Acting for the Camera"
in Australia and New Zealand. He also runs weekly workshops on "Screen
Acting" at the Actors Centre in Sydney, Australia. He is active in
stage production, both as a director and actor, and spends
considerable time behind the camera. He directed Going Home for the
stage as well as the critically acclaimed and award-winning short film
Talk of the Town (1996).
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.