E135 | Madeleine Sami

Episode summary | Madeleine Sami

Madeleine Sami is an actor, musician, comedian, writer and director.

She is one of New Zealand’s funniest, and most prolific, comedic talents starting her acting career in theatre before moving to television.

You might have seen her as a teenager on Shortland Street. She progressed to the big screen on Sione’s Wedding, before her groundbreaking show on Super City where she played all the main characters and linked up with friend Taika Waititi.

It was then box-office success with the Breaker Upperers, and she has recently returned to our screens with her new Amazon Prime show Deadloch and Chris Parker’s local show Double Parked. This is off the back of her time as the host of the Great Kiwi Bake Off and the voice of Tourism New Zealand during COVID-19.

Madeline is one of the most entertaining – and coolest – guests we’ve had. Funny, thoughtful and an amazing storyteller.

Show notes | Madeleine Sami

0:00 Beer chat and comparisons of busyness with Hayley Sproull

5:18 Accents: are they problematic?

12:00 Unusual jobs with Madeleine Sami and hanging out with Lucy Lawless

14:21 Hanging out with Lucy Lawless

17:22 Improv nights as a teenager

22:41 Dux Ludorum of Onehunga High School

29:47 The Sami Sisters

34:51 Growing up in Onehunga

39:26 DDC

44:41 Acting after high school: Shortland Street, Bare, No. 2

55:09 The brilliance of Super City

1:09:03 The genius of Taika Waititi

1:15:19 Four years and four weeks to make The Breaker Upperers

1:23:16 Building a great idea

1:25:50 Deadloch: blurring genres and breaking stereotypes

1:35:00 Managing social media

1:41:37 The feedback loop

1:44:20 A day in the life of Madeleine Sami

1:48:13 Last words from Steve, Seamus, and Madeleine