Nivi Summer. Photo / Emily Chalk
When Nivi Summer was a core cast member on Shortland Street, she played fearless surgeon Zara Chakraborty, who battled sex traffickers and an abusive partner, and even survived an explosive hostage situation. Yet while Nivi’s real life isn’t quite as dramatic, the glamorous star is every bit as fierce.
Currently on screens in The Ridge, Nivi, 43, says, “My motto is, ‘If you don’t try, you’ll never know!’ I never want to live with regrets − when I’m 90, I’ll be able to say I gave life my best shot!”
It’s why the mother of Jed, 9, and Jaxon, 4, wasn’t daunted when she realised that her relationship with her sons’ father had run its course.
“I was pregnant with Jax when I left Shorty,” she shares. “When he was about 2, I realised that in my relationship with his dad, the negatives had started to outweigh the positives and I walked away. There was no malice − we moved on calmly and quickly.”
There was still heartbreak, though. Then when Nivi was moving house, tragedy struck.
“My boys and I were just arriving at our new place when my darling dog took herself for a walk,” Nivi says of her beloved Chihuahua Nina. “She was 18 years old, partially sighted and was run over by a car. I was heartbroken.”
It was the former Bollywood star’s sons who got her through.
Nivi explains, “My boys are the two best things that have ever happened to me. I am a proud single mother − an empowered, independent woman who doesn’t rely on anyone.”
Of her youngest son, Nivi says, “Jax is a force to be reckoned with. He’s so happy and funny. He has his mama’s genes as he’s already showing signs of being an entertainer, and he does amazing Indian and British accents.”
Meanwhile, Jed is a model big brother and an aspiring DJ.
“He took to it after I started learning – he is also a real help to me around the house,” says Nivi. Every morning, Jed makes his mum a coffee and he loves to cook!
As well as raising two beautiful boys, Nivi has bought two businesses since leaving Shorty. She owns a cleaning products company called Extreme Stain Remover and has also purchased a beauty salon in Ōrewa, just north of Auckland.
“When I bought Sun Lounge, it was just a tanning salon with LED light therapy, but we’re going to start doing hair removal and injectables,” explains Nivi, who plans to change the name to Summer Glow Beauty.
Asked if she’ll ever consider getting the injectables for herself, the 43-year-old is frank.
“I have thought about it as I understand prevention is better than cure with wrinkles,” she says. “But as an actor, I have concerns about how that might change my face because my frowns and forehead lines are so important for my work.
“I also don’t feel like I need it as I’m lucky not to have many wrinkles. Even though I’m not getting any younger, I’m not ageing very fast, which could be to do with my race.”
Given that Nivi looks so youthful, it’s no surprise this determined star has “making it in Los Angeles” on her radar.
“Looking ahead, I’m 100% manifesting Hollywood,” she enthuses. “When I was ready to start acting again after being a fulltime mum, I manifested getting an international job, then I was cast in The Ridge. I’m hoping it will lead to other things.”
For now, Nivi has her sights set on Australia.
“I know I’ll get there,” she insists. “As actors, we experience so much rejection and we get so many kicks in the gut, but we must keep picking ourselves up and moving on. One day, everything will click.”
The Ridge streams on Neon.