The winner of a competition to find MTV's next Kiwi presenter picked up acting tips from his cousin — Hollywood superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
At a function on Friday night, Kristian Schmidt beat thousands of contestants to be named the next MTV video journalist.
University of Auckland lecturer Schmidt, 29, said he was shocked and is determined to make the most of the opportunity.
Schmidt's new role as an MTV VJ will involve travelling around the world, interviewing celebrities and attending red carpet events.
"My first thought was, 'Man, I have to find someone to cover my indoor netball team'," Schmidt, who lectures in Pacific studies, joked.