Snapchat: How singing on the radio gave Cohen Holloway his big break

Cohen Holloway in Bellbird. Photo / Supplied

My first Job was ... in a bank when I was 17.

It taught me ... that I didn't want to work in a bank.

My big break came ... when I entered a radio competition to sing like Andrew Strong from The Commitments movie. My husky rendition of Mustang Sally won me the role of lead singer in a Commitments cover band. When I turned up, they didn't believe it was me, as I was only 18 and looked about 12. This led to me forming a band of my own and learning how to perform and sing on stage for six years, which was a great induction into performance.

The last job I quit was ... my bank job, because I then went to NZ Drama School. I still think of the property portfolio I've missed out on.

The most famous person I've met was ... There's a few in this profession from Chris Hemsworth to James Cameron. Some you only meet on the day of filming and it's pretty daunting just to avoid to fanboying them, let alone having to perform a scene with them. Within one day of arriving on set I was telling one of my all-time-favourite actors Sam Neill that his character was a pervert and s*** got real.

The best time I've had on stage is ... with my performance group, The Maori Sidesteps, touring festivals around the country. Holding a mirror up to New Zealand, pushing people's boundaries, making them laugh or cry, boo or cheer, I love it. It's an instant crowd reaction and an honest appraisal, as opposed to a film ... because it's how people truly feel about your performance and not one critic's review.

The worst was ... The worst but funniest time was in pre-production on Bellbird. I turned up to learn how to milk cows for my role and let's just say, with the cows' review, I wasn't covered in glory.

My dream role would be ... in some reoccurring television or movie series, so I wouldn't have to audition anymore. Being on set is like a family and you relax into a role and get brave and creative. Auditions are like cattle calls, which makes you anxious and uncreative. You tend to always lose sleep over wanting or waiting for a role. I always find it funny; when I told my dad years ago that I had a lead role in a TV movie and I was jumping around the house like I'd won Lotto, he said, "How long's that?" I said, "Six weeks." He said the average person wouldn't be jumping around the house if they got told they had six weeks left in their job. Wise man.

Cohen Holloway stars alongside Rachel House and Marshall Napier in Bellbird, in cinemas today.