Dave Letele

And it's not like you're not that person because a lot of traits from who you are become a part of the characters that you play.

But, yeah, it just kind of allows you space to kind of be yourself without putting a spotlight on yourself and putting a spotlight on the pain and the hurt you've been through.

You can acknowledge those things, you know, through drama and especially even through theatre and education.

First one was I did a short film.

I did a short film.

I was at drama school in second year, I think.

And we were doing our interview shows or something.

We were meant to be doing some monologues or something.

Came down to Auckland, did an audition during a break and I got a part in a short film.

And that was, I was, bro, crazy.

I was a young guy going into prison.

I'm like a, I'm a young guy going into prison and Pete Smith, rest in peace, brother.

Pete Smith was the old dog coming out and I was a young guy going in and the old boy was like, basically it was a story about this ain't the life, bro.

You maybe think that you can survive in here, but this ain't the life you want.

And so, interesting, eh, bro?

Interesting, eh?

I was playing these roles that were almost a little bit of an art imitating life, life imitating art type scenario.

And those roles were quite, I think, pivotal in my success as an actor because I got to kind of live out these kind of roles that, in a way,

I'd been kind of entertaining as a, you know, in my real life.

And so it was, yeah, that.