K: Well, since The Tribe and Cloud 9 seem to be very heavily influenced by the vision of Raymond Thompson, how do you think that makes the show different from other acting jobs?

TH: Well, I think he's a creative guy, He's got a different vision. I think he's really got a vision for young people and where they're going and maybe for sort of pushing or changing the viewpoint of young people. Challenging them, stimulating them, so I mean, I think that's pretty cool.

BA: I think for me, Ray's really focused on making sure the kids who perhaps wouldn't have the opportunity on a really mainstream show get opportunities. So, right I think we've said it perhaps, we get girls who aren't really skinny who come on the show and we're never pressured to look a certain way and certain actors who perhaps wouldn't get a job elsewhere because they've got a really different look or a different style can really a get a cool shot at it. So I guess, that's the thing I've found - that he's really into the underdogs and the people who perhaps wouldn't get a chance.

TH: Basically, it's good for us kind of like freakish actors who don't really fit into a category -cause he's like "oh, that's a bit different and I kind of like it" (lots of agreement). I think it would be fair to say that Ray really enjoys a performance that's a wee bit sort of outside the sphere which is cool. I think a lot of personalities carry that on The Tribe as well, that it's maybe part of the appeal. I think we can all say that it's pretty cool working for Ray.

A: Since it is a younger kids show in general, like you were mentioning at your Q&A, it's not as violent as it could be and you have to kind of hold back, and I know as an older viewer that can be kind of frustrating, you know? And so, although we do notice that the guys seem to take of their shirts to put out fires randomly...

(Meryl howls)

TH: I never get to do it because I've got this little like pot belly going on, even though I'm cool with weight and stuff I'd still be pretty embarrassed.

BA: We had a couple times when I was doing scenes with Dwayne, when we were doing bed scenes, and I'd hear a couple of whispers from the director like "do you think we should put a shirt on - he kind of looks like a dirty old man"

MC: He's quite hairy.

TH: Can we frame out the Austin Powers?

A: But see that's what I mean, the girls are covered up but the guys are paraded around, you know it's like the male gaze but in reverse.

TH: I don't think there's any hidden or subliminal suggestive messages there, like I don't think there's actually any story to that I think it's just the fact that either the guys like sort of getting their gear off...

MWS: We heard...

TH: Or the other thing is the fans like it as well, I mean, maybe that's why they do it, I don't know.

CR: It's also kind of like, in everyday life it's cool for a guy to go to the beach with his top off or whatever but it's a different story for girls.

MC: Yeah, we can't exactly strip our tops off.

A: So like how much nudity would you all be willing to do for any acting job? What are your personal boundaries?

CR: I went for an audition about 4 months ago, for a film and they asked and it was going to involve full nudity and I said it was fine.

MC: Really!? The whole shebang!

MWS: Tell me what movie it is, or I'll be like out on a date (makes horrified face and points at imaginary screen - everyone is laughing hysterically).

MC: Like for me I may go as far as topless, maybe. And I'd probably consider for the bottom bit but I doubt it.

TH: I'd do full nudity.

MC: Would you?

TH: Not in the shape that I'm in at the moment. I mean I would like to just be really happy with my body before I went and did something like that. I've gotta say there's no limitations or anything like that but I just think if I was going to do full nudity I'd wanna be like stoking it.
(lots of assent)

CR: And it was really only going to be full nudity in changing rooms so you were going to have like towels and stuff anyway so it wasn't going to be so bad.

BA: What movie is this?

CR: Uh, it was a rugby one.

TH: Rugby people are always naked.

BA: Yeah and it'd be weird to see you undressed man.

TH: They're always having parties, they think it's funny to dress up as girls. But not like in a drag way - in a real bloke-y "huhhuh, I've got a wig on"

A: That's like a latent drag way, like they secretly wanna...

TH: Yeah yeah.

MC: Beth how far would you go?

BA: I'd probably go topless eh? I mean, I'm just still thinking there are some movies that actually... like you almost don't notice like in Titanic it kind of worked.

TH: I definitely noticed Halle Berry in Swordfish.

BA: Yeah, Halle yeah. Yeah, I think like Tom I probably wouldn't want to get my gears off right now. But give me six months - then I'd get my shirt off and be like YEAH!

TH: Well, if you've got something that you've worked for as well, you've reached your goals. Like, you know what I mean? Like we've got a real, well I shouldn't say cheesy, we've got a show in New Zealand called The Strip. And it's about male strippers and like a couple of my mates were working on it and they were like fully like in three months fully just buffed up, cut up, hard and of course they were all in a hurry to get their top off like "I've been slaving away everyday for like an hour and a half" so of course they want to show it off on camera, but damn...

K: Well since the women on the show are often portrayed as being extremely strong and competent and smart, um do you feel that there's pressure on you to be role models? Or do feel that because of that there's something you've brought to your character or maybe you've learned from your character?

TH: Good question.

BA: Um, when I started I actually, well I was really young and I wasn't really aware of the fact that outside of The Tribe there is actually a really different lack of good strong female characters. So, having got a little bit older and starting to look around a bit more I'm kind of going wow, this is quite unique that I get, I mean that Meryl and I get to play parts that aren't "the girl" or "the love interest."

MC: I think we only really start to realize it too when we leave our country because we don't really get it in New Zealand. So as soon as we do trips around Europe and things like that, I mean people who will come out ... you know the first time I went on tour I was kind of freaked out it's like oh my god people actually you know really get into it. So for me it was kind of learn to step up more and speak to them about it. But we don't really get it back in New Zealand so it's nice to be able to come and experience the way people are over here as well.

BA: I guess in terms of role model things we just... I know I find myself just sort of watching what I'm doing and saying in front of little kids and stuff. (Meryl's agreeing) But the nice thing about coming here is we get to talk to some of the older fans (everyone's agreeing) and you can sort of be a bit more upfront and frank about things.

A: So is New Zealand like this paradise on earth? No racism apparently, no sexism, I'm actually like thinking about moving or something.

BA: We were doing that panel actually the other day and everyone's sort of like but what about all the racism - I was just like well we hadn't really thought about that at all. I mean, it exists but I think not to the degree that it does here.

MC: Well, we're so small you know. And New Zealanders just tend to keep their feelings to themselves, they're very reserved and kind of don't like to make a big deal out of issues.

BA: And it sounds silly, but because it';s so small you do actually know someone who knows someone who knows someone and like if you offend someone or you're rude to someone or you say something horrible it kind of does come back and haunt you.

TH: This is where all the incest and sheep jokes start honestly. You start saying you know somebody that knows somebody that knows somebody - soon the word's going around that you're hooking up with your cousin. (everyone's cracking up)

A: Sadly enough, I do know someone that has hooked up with their cousin.

TH: Oh, that's great. That's called (unintelligible - we think it's some sort of slang we don't have).

Continue to Page 3