Madeleine Sami says the poor get targeted, so she backs any party that gives them a voice. Photo / Jae Frew
Actor Madeleine Sami explains why she loves The Great Kiwi Bake Off. The Breaker Upperers director also talks about mum-friendly workplaces and why she and partner Pip Brown were upset about paparazzi photos of their baby.
1 You're co-hosting The Great Kiwi Bake Off with Hayley Sproull but were already a huge fan of the British version. What do you love about the show's format?
I'm not a huge reality show watcher; I find its construction transparent but I love this one because the producers don't edit it to create drama that's not there. It has a lovely light energy — silly and irreverent. There's no cash prize, the contestants are in it for the love of baking and they all support each other. There's a lot of kindness. I fell in love with all our New Zealand contestants. Baking is one of those secret, shy person things. You have no idea that ordinary person walking down the street is able to bake these amazing creations.
2 You're now the mum of an 11-month old baby. How are you and your partner Pip Brown juggling childcare?
We split it up. I've been busy promoting The Breaker Upperers and The Great Kiwi Bake Off was too good to turn down. Pip's just getting into the headspace of wanting to make more stuff so we'll tag team it. Having a baby has given me so much respect for mothers. Parenting is the hardest job hands down but it's also enjoyable — a type of love you've never experienced before.
3 Is the screen industry accommodating of working parents?
When I was in What We Do in the Shadows, Taika Waititi and Jackie van Beek both had new babies so they set up a little crèche in a caravan on set. So workplaces can be made welcoming for mums. With The Breaker Upperers we were able to get the women we wanted on board by job sharing. Our producers, head of makeup, and head of wardrobe were all mums who worked half a week each. There's an unspoken hesitancy to hire a woman after she's had a baby in case she's not ready. You just have to make it a bit easier for her.
4 How has your first feature film been received since its release in May?
It did amazingly well at the box office. It's hard when you're up against superhero films like Avengers and Deadpool. Australians loved it too. Getting retweeted by Rebel Wilson was a thrill because Bridesmaids was a huge influence. We've signed a deal with Netflix for its release in the UK and America. The response from the American audience at South By Southwest was huge. Our dry awkward sense of humour now has this label; 'New Zealand comedy' thanks to Jemaine Clement, Rhys Darby and Taika. I was amazed at how much New Zealand comedy Taika got into Thor. He tricked Disney into letting him make a Kiwi film.
5 How did you come to make the TV series Super City with Taika Waititi?
We've been friends for a really long time. We'd see each other on the festival circuit. I remember walking round Christchurch with Jemaine and Taika, eating pies and talking crap; we have very similar senses of humour. When I came up with the series I asked Taika to direct. Even back then he was very busy but he found the time. It was lovely shooting with Taiks. Making things with mates is fun; if I can keep doing this till I die, I'll be happy.
6 Your partner Pip is the chart-topping musician Ladyhawke. Do you find it helpful being in a relationship with another creative person?
It's nice mental health-wise because you both understand the highs and lows of the creative process. Doing auditions is as emotionally taxing as a job interview but you do two or three a day and when you don't get the job you take it personally. You can't possibly be what everyone's looking for all the time but the rejection is demoralising. That's the reason I started making my own work. If I don't fit into what other people are making, I just make things that fit me.
7 You never share photos of your baby's face on social media. Is that a conscious choice?
Yes but the bloody Woman's Day followed us around and papped us a few months ago which was really upsetting. We'd tried to keep our daughter's face out of the media because babies are just innocent little people that haven't asked for anything like that yet. It was pretty awful to have that happen, especially in New Zealand.
8 Growing up in Onehunga, were you always the performer of your family?
I come from a family of performers. There are way more funny, talented, musical people in my family. We grew up having guitar parties and singalongs. I'd sing harmonies with my sisters. I'm really close to my 23 cousins; we'd entertain each other by clowning around to get a laugh.
9 How did you make your break in acting?
Auckland Theatre Sports did this cool thing where they put kids from the secondary school scene in professional shows so I was 14 years old on stage with Kevin Smith and Cal Wilson doing improv. After high school I did Toa Fraser's play Bare, which became a hit that we toured to Edinburgh. We then followed it up with the solo show Number Two which won a fringe first and I ended up performing it over 250 times at festivals around the world. It was an awesome OE.
10 Where did your love of Celine Dion come from?
She's the diva behind so many epic pop anthems. I was 17 when Titanic came out. I went to see it 13 times. I was obsessed with Kate and Leo. I've come to really appreciate Celine since seeing her perform in Las Vegas. We managed to get her song in our film and jokingly did this video going, 'Hey Celine, you're in Australia, our film just opened, you should go see it'. Then Russell Crowe retweeted it and she got word so we got to meet her. She said, 'Hey for your next movie let me know' — so next time we'll have her doing a cameo. It'll be excellent.
11 Are you a political person?
I grew up poor. My mum raised us on the DPB from when I was about 10. Every election cycle, certain parties like to make beneficiaries the scapegoats for everything. I was raised on a benefit and without it, who knows where I'd be. But it's not a fun or easy thing either. It wasn't enough money. It felt shameful at times for my mum; as soon as we were old enough she trained as a teacher. Poor people are easy to pick on, so I support any party that gives them a voice.
12 Globally, are there any issues that get you heated right now?
Donald Trump has brought out this really brazen side of the far right where they feel justified in being openly racist and if you say anything, you're just being 'politically correct'. There's no such thing as politically correct — there's just correct. There's racist and not racist. I'm stoked to see more women are standing up for themselves with #metoo. We need to be heard now more than ever.
• The Great Kiwi Bake Off starts tonight, 16 October at 7.30pm on TVNZ 2
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