AHIKĀROA PLAYERS
HEMI – Nepia Takuira-Mita
Te Arawa, Hāmoa
Many will recognise Nepia from his social media presence, as a viral dancer on Tiktok with 480K followers and 433K on Instagram.
In 2022, Nepia was named a finalist for Best Actor at the NZ Web Fest Awards and more recently appeared on ‘Shortland Street’ as Te Manawanui.
Nepia began performing at Māori cultural villages in his hometown of Rotorua, where his passion for kapa haka laid the foundation for his journey into acting.
As a core cast member, he is best known for his portrayal of Hemi in Ahikāroa. Across an extraordinary seven-season run, his performances has impressed audiences, cementing his place as a standout talent in Aotearoa’s screen industry.
KID – Aniwa
Whaiapu-Koloamatangi
Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Waikato/Tainui
Before you jump to a guess that Aniwa is short for Aniwaniwa, take a lesson from Aniwa’s Nan, she knows Aniwa to be the name for the halo above an angel’s head, and we know Aniwa to embody this energy no less!
Straight out of kura kaupapa and on to our screens Aniwa plays our beloved Kid. He’s gone on to be a presenter for NZ factual show, ‘Queer and Here’ and the recently released ‘Rule of Mum’.
A naturally gifted performer, Aniwa brought Kid to life and is a fan fave. Known for his performances with Tāmaki fan-favourite kapa haka rōpū ‘Angitū’, Aniwa also shares his expertise as a kapa haka tutor at Ngā Puna o Waiōrea.
HAKI – Whiti Tumai
Ngai Tūhoe, Tainui, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Paetawhiti, meaning to ‘Arise like the Sun and shine out’ is humble about his classification of his title as an ‘actor’.
A student of the craft, Whiti accredits his desire to act as being one that allows him to experience challenging scenarios, that in turn develop him as a person.
Immersed in te ao Māori he grew up with a background in kapa haka and mau rākau.
Originally studying as an electrical engineer Whiti found himself auditioning for Ahikāroa on S2 and now following through into S7 we can’t wait to see what trouble he is in now.
KUINI | Awa Puna
Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa , Tūhoe, Ngāpuhi
Awa Puna is an actor/filmmaker who has her finger on the pulse of work that speaks from her heart. Awa has dedicated much of her career to projects that acknowledge and uplift Māori and takatāpui/LGBTQ+ communities and stories.
She graduated her final year of Toi Whakaari in 2020.
As well as her mahi on Ahikāroa, Awa has starred alongside Rena Owen and James Rolleston in ‘Whina’ and a role in the TV series, ‘Vegas’ and 'Shortland Street'.
Awa was a finalist for a NZTV Award for her performance in Season 4 of Ahikāroa.
MARIANA | Te Arohanui Korewha
Te Rarawa, Ngati Hine, Ngapuhi
Te Arohanui is a New Zealand–Māori actress who completed her training at Auckland’s The Actor’s Program in 2020. Since then, she has appeared in short films and taken to the stage in productions such as ‘Fake News’ and ‘Kōpū’.
Alongside her screen and theatre work, Te Arohanui has a strong background in kapa haka, performing with fan-favourite rōpū Angitū. Her love of Māori performing arts continues to influence her craft and stage presence. She is best known for her role as Mariana in Ahikāroa, now returning for her third season.
B-RAD | Harrison Keefe
Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Porou
Introducing Harrison Keefe, an actor coming in to his second season of Ahikāroa, he's a content creator and radio personality from Hawke’s Bay, trained at Toi Whakaari and now based in Auckland co-hosting ‘The Edge Arvos’ with Sean & Steph. He has appeared in ‘Wellington Paranormal’, ‘Shortland Street’ and ‘Ahikāroa’, and plays a supporting role in upcoming comedy-horror feature ‘Deathgasm 2’
With 230k+ Instagram and 175k+ TikTok followers, Harrison is known for his humour and positivity through sketches, kai reviews, 'Motivating Mates Monday' and dance breaks. In 2024, he and Ahikāroa co-star Nepia Takuira-Mita went viral with their 'Come Vibe With Us' dance videos, gaining attention from Keith Urban and Kim Kardashian. He is also developing an eight-episode comedy series as a writer.
RUA | Mya-Lee Bell
Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāpuhi
A 2022 graduate of South Seas Film School with a Diploma in On-Screen Acting, she trained under mentors including Dave Fane, Semu Filipo, Jamie Irvine, and Laughton Kora.
Her early work includes co-writing and starring in ‘Doors’ (dir. Danny Mulheron) and roles in student films such as ‘Clematis’, ‘The Cataclysmic Tale of a Nearly Famous Garage Band’, and ‘Deep Water’.
Mya-Lee debuted in Ahikāroa Season 6 as Rua and returns for Season 7 as part of the core cast. She values working in Māori spaces and is proud to contribute to a show that celebrates Te Reo Māori and inspires rangatahi.
ATA | Valeria Mendoza
Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe
A graduate of Toi Whakaari Valeria draws on both her training and on-set experience to bring depth to her role as Ata in her second season of Ahikāroa.
Valeria Davis is an actress whose screen credits include ‘The River’ (2023),‘Creamerie’ (2021), and ‘Bouncers’ (2023). Most recently, she acted on ‘Shortland Street’.
AMADEUS | Paku Fernadez
Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tahu
Paku recently was nominated for Best Actor at the Septimius Awards 2025. Paku is an exceptional young performer recognised for his fierce and courageous work.
He starred as Haki in ‘Ka Whawhai Tonu’, a role that showcased his strength as an actor at a young age. His screen credits also include ‘Shortland Street’ (2021–2022), ‘The Duckrockers’ (2022), and ‘The Untold Tales of Tāteremoana’ (2022).
Paku now joins Ahikāroa Season 7, introducing the new character Amadeus.
HINE | Trae Te Wiki
Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui
Trae Te Wiki is a stage and screen actor, producer, and theatre maker, best known for her roles as Tippy in ‘Under the Vines’ and Ngaio Wira in ‘Shortland Street’, where she brought te reo Māori to her character. Her recent screen work includes ‘Tangata Pai’ (2025) and 'Because I Hate Korea’ (2023), while theatre credits feature ‘Half of the Sky’ and ‘U R HERE’.
Trae joins Ahikāroa Season 7 as Hine, a new character on the series.