Guess who's changing faces?

You name it, he's done it. JENNY FORSYTH talks to the multi-talented Anthony Ray Parker.

Tacked on the end of Anthony Ray Parker's extensive CV is the intriguing claim of "101 faces."

It is listed in the final "other skills" section but is probably the best overall description of this TV personality/ sportsman/ businessman.

He's actually referring to his gurning skills, but he could just as easily be describing his varied career. Parker is indeed a man of many faces.

You will have seen him as infomercial queen Suzanne Paul's chauffeur and sidekick in Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? and Garage Sale. He was back behind the wheel for the TV2 bus ad, and his biggest shot at stardom was in the part of Dozer in the blockbuster film The Matrix.

Next year he'll be back on television with presenter Suzanne Paul. So far, the series is top secret, but he hints that he's on more of an equal footing.

Aucklanders can expect to hear even more from him. His trademark American drawl will be booming through the Sky City Theatre from Saturday when he will be the voice of Audrey II, the power-crazy venus flytrap in the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

But that's just the half of Parker's talents. Ask him about his background and he'll willingly tell you of his many jobs.

He was born in Michigan, but lived in Los Angeles for 12 years before moving to New Zealand. There was a romance involved but Parker won't talk about that.

At 16 he blossomed from shy, podgy schoolboy to 1.6m sports star and also began acting. He boxed, did judo, played basketball and was heavily into athletics. But his main loved was American football and he played professionally for a while.

In LA he worked as a personal trainer and was bodyguard for the likes of Harry Connick Jun and Michael Jackson. His security company, which he still owns, has provided protection for bands like the Rolling Stones and AC/DC.

In New Zealand he is a basketball commentator for Sky TV. But sport has taken a back seat as Parker chases his biggest dream - being on screen.

"My No 1 focus is being in front of the camera," says Parker, who is also an excellent self-publicist.

"It's great being in New Zealand because entertainers willing to expand and explore their talents are given the opportunity much more readily than in other places. I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunities I have. I feel like I'm just at the beginning of my career."

Parker doesn't just wait for the Lord to make things to happen. He admits he'll be furiously networking in America and Australia later this year and he makes sure his name and face are in the public eye.

"Don't count me out of The Matrix sequels yet," he says. "It was just a flesh wound, and in The Matrix anything can happen."

Recent disappointments include missing out on a role in the television series Cleopatra 2525 ("It was narrowed down to myself and another guy for a full-time role but I got nipped out") and another role in a film with Val Kilmer.

He is also slightly miffed that he had already signed up for Little Shop Of Horrors when he was offered a role in Vertical Limit, an action movie shot in Queenstown.

Nevertheless, he's not the type to sulk. Instead, Parker is practising at the theatre eight hours a day, enthusiastically adding a few more skills to that impressive CV.

"This is probably the largest challenge to date," Parker says . "I'm singing, I've got a few stage roles in the musical and also I'm going to have to dance even though I've got two left feet.

"I'm guaranteed to lose weight because this is a workout. I'm just drenched in sweat most of the time because there's so much action. This is my third shirt today."

As the voice of the plant, Parker will be in a booth backstage watching monitors trained on the conductor and stage.

The physical activity comes from all the bending and swaying Parker does while he's putting on Audrey II's voice. No wonder he can't be on stage wearing the 6.1m costume as well.

"The singing and dancing is hard," he says. "I also play a small part as a wino and end up dancing with the dance troupe."

Parker, who is studying with voice coach Cheryl McClay, says the theatre part came out of the blue after he stopped to say hello to director and co-star Mark Hadlow.

"I was walking through 277 in Newmarket getting myself a huge glob of sushi when I said 'hi' to him.

"I'd only got to the escalator before he came running up saying, 'You'd be perfect.' I said I couldn't sing but he insisted I could. A couple of months later I was in the cast."

Now hard at work on solos like Feed Me and Supper Time, Parker says he'll be a bag of nerves come opening night.

"I've always felt that with sport as well. Once you stop feeling the butterflies it's time to move on. You can't be too confident."

But it seems no nervous trait will stop Anthony Ray Parker's ambition. It seems he's only half joking as he spells out the role he could have had in Apec.

"I own a security company called Total Protection and I've done quite a lot of driving, you know, for Suzanne and on the TV2 bus. I could have been Clinton's chauffeur ... the call never came."

Who: Anthony Ray Parker

What: Little Shop of Horrors

Where: Sky City Theatre

When: From Saturday