Spy: Kim Crossman back in quarantine because of four drag queens

Kim Crossman Supplied to Spy November 2020

Actor Kim Crossman has returned to Hollywood - and to quarantine - ahead of filming a new movie.

She will star in comedy-drama God Save the Queens, a movie about four drag queens navigating their way through career and personal struggles in Los Angeles.

It meant Crossman dusted off the silver glitter from The Toy Mansion Out of this World Party last Saturday and jumped straight on a plane. It also means more time in quarantine after spending two weeks in managed isolation in April after arriving back in New Zealand.

But that has not stopped her earning the title of the busiest actor in town. Multi-talented Crossman has filmed the second season of Golden Boy and new show Creamerie with Hollywood star Jay Ryan, as well as The Late Night Big Breakfast. Her regular slots on The Project, were at a time when some Kiwis were feeling anti towards people returning to NZ.

Between LA and NZ she also had an Instagram show on Neon called Quarantine with Kim, designed to lift spirits - as well as her podcast Pretty Depressed.

Among other local projects, Crossman added another show to her bow, this time as an eager reporter on TVNZ's America's Cup spoof show Last At 11. This takes the form of a short miniseries on TVNZ OnDemand and recut into a special for TVNZ, in the style of mockumentary television series The Games.

As TVNZ is an official partner to the America's Cup don't expect Crossman to be taking the mickey out of Team NZ boss Grant Dalton. Last At 11 does not satirise the event or Team NZ – instead, it works to build support for the team, promote the event and make it accessible to the ordinary New Zealander. The joke is never at the expense of Team NZ, rather at the comedians.

Safe bet for Team NZ then, or is it?

The show sees junior reporter BJ Benson, played by Crossman, sent to find a headline-grabbing news story in the Team NZ America's Cup compound. BJ sees this as an opportunity for the entire crew to escape the daytime slot, prove themselves and advance their careers.

Instead what they find, is two unhelpful security guards, who guard a hard-working dedicated Team NZ who are putting their all into winning the Cup, and are happy to talk about the complexity of the technology, the skills of the team and the strategy required to compete at this world-class level. After multiple attempts to find dirt on Team NZ, the News team have to make a news bulletin out of their escapade.

It is made by the team that brought Educators to the screen, the rest of the cast are a rich mix of local talent. Cameraman Manny is played by Byron Coll; intern Randall is played by James Roque; production assistant Ruth is played by Becky Umbers; husband and wife news anchors Chris Davis and Phillipa Wilson-Davis are played by Paul Glover and Renee Lyons; their makeup artist Tanya is aptly cast for Luci Hare, who is both an actor and make-up artist; news producer Candy Bracewell is played by Kura Forrester; the station owner is Tom Sainsbury, his trophy wife is Liv Parker and the station owner's son Jonty is Arlo Gibson.