Awa Puna

Vitals

Gender
Trans Woman
Pronoun
She/her pronouns
Age Range
18 - 26
Ethnicity
Maori
Height
176cm
Base Location
Auckland
Available In
Adelaide, Auckland, Australian Capital Territory, Brisbane, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gold Coast, International, Melbourne, Northern Territory, Perth, Queenstown, Sydney, Tasmania, Wellington
Skills
Actor, Dancer, Director, Model, Musical Theatre, Presenter, Writer, Singer
Hair
Dark Brown
Eye
Brown

Agent

New Zealand Agent
Lion Rock Management

Feature Photo
Awa Puna

Credits

2023

Television
Hope
The Queen, The Club, The Boy, The Girl and Everything in Between
Lucky Legs
Ramon Te Wake

2022

Television
Gia Te Atakura
Shortland Street
South Pacific Pictures
Various
Television
Kuini
Ahikaroa
Kura Productions
Various

2021

Television
Kuini
Ahikaroa
Kura Productions
Various
Television
Te Patupaiarehe
Into the Mist
10,000 Company
Michael Bennett

2020

Short Film
Tui
Tui
Awa Puna
Television
Erina Teuber
Vegas
Greenstone Productions
Michael Bennett
Feature Film
Pattie
Whina
Herding Cats
James Lucas

2019

Musical Theatre
Gussie
Merrily We Roll Along
Toi Whakaari
Simon Bennett
Feature Film
Actor
Te Koha
Script to Screen
Michael Bennet

Training

2005 - 2013
Alison Pond
Jazz
2020
Toi Whakaari
Mary Mac
Accent
2018
Toi Whakaari
Brita McVeigh
Instinct and Impulse
2019
Toi Whakaari
Bert Van Dijk
Voice, Body and Imagination
2019
Toi Whakaari
Cohen Holloway and Loren Taylor
Audition Technique
2019
Toi Whakaari
Hone Kouka
Stage Craft Masterclass
2018
Toi Whakaari
Miranda Harcourt
Naturalism
2015
Rata Studios
Miranda Harcourt
5 Day Intensive
2015
Rata Studios
Tina Cleary
Audition Technique

Skills & Attributes

Shoe Size
11
Clothing Size
Female - 10
Waist
82cm
Bra Size
AA
Bust
93cm
Hip
100cm
Natural Accent
New Zealand, New Zealand
Accents
South Western, New Zealand, French, Cockney, English, Southern, Samoan, New England , German, Australian, Russian, Brooklyn, Mexican, Spanish, Maori, Middle Eastern
Languages
English
Hair Length
Past Shoulder, Past Shoulder
Hair Style
Wavy
Dance
Maori, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary
Singing
Choir, Jazz, Musical Theatre
Singing Range
Alto, Baritone, Bass
Sport
Roller Skating, Horse Jumping, Horse Riding, Yoga, Cycling, Table Tennis, Rowing
Drivers Licences
Car, Car
Model Work Types
Hair, Commercial, Body
Professional Skills
Actor, Dancer, Director, Model, Musical Theatre, Presenter, Writer, Singer

Photos


Notes

Awa Puna is a whakawahine actor/filmmaker from Ngāti Kahungunu, who has most recently finished playing one of the leads in TVNZ OnDemand series THE QUEEN, THE CLUB, THE BOY, THE GIRL AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. Awa also plays the flamboyant and fiery major recurring role of ‘Kuini’ on AHIKĀROA (currently in production for Season 5), for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2022 NZ Film & Television Awards. Awa graduated from Toi Whakaari in 2020 where she wrote, directed and starred in TŪĪ, a semi-autobiographical short film about a young transgender teen discovering her identity while processing the grief of her mother’s death. TŪĪ was selected for Best Shorts at the NZIFF and received the "Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent" award. After graduating, Awa starred alongside Rena Owen and James Rolleston in WHINA, as ambitious young Māori activist ‘Pattie’, and in supporting roles on supernatural anthology INTO THE MIST and drama series VEGAS. In 2018 a documentary about her journey as a transgender teen was presented on TVNZ’s ‘Sunday’ BORN THIS WAY: AWA’S STORY. Awa has her eye on the pulse of work that speaks from the heart and has dedicated much of her career to projects that acknowledge and uplift Māori and takatāpui/LGBTQI+ communities and stories.