Romy
Hooper

ACTOR

Play Romy’s showreel
& Acting Highlights

The Warehouse commercial - Finch

Romy's first professional contract after graduation from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School was with the Radio New Zealand drama department in 2009 who bought her graduation one woman show, ‘[Insert Problem Here] Anonymous’ and had her co-write and record another radio drama before her return to Auckland in 2010.

She debuted as a season regular in TV1’s Nothing Trivial and starred in NZIFF short film We Talk About Loss. She played lead roles in many theatrical productions such as Patrick Marber’s Closer, Have Car, Will Travel by Mitch Tawhi-Thomas, devised works and musicals, Yours Truly by Albert Belz, Nigel by Kate Hall and Heat by Lynda Chanwai-Earle.

She was 2013’s Auckland Champion for the National Poetry Slam and had a successful season of her spoken word solo show ‘Love…and Other Noise,’ in Auckland before being invited as international headliner to Bristol’s Boomtown Festival in the UK in 2014.

In 2015 she assisted in the building and opening of Te Pou – Auckland’s Home for Māori Theatre where she curated play readings, poetry nights and slams including the Going West Festival, and Pūrerehua for Atawhai Festival. She attended a number of writing workshops there run by Briar Grace Smith, Gary Henderson, Dave Armstrong and Albert Belz.

The Little Yellow Digger - Tim Bray Theatre Company

Bottle Money - Beverly Hills Film Festival

Macbeth - Pop Up Globe Auckland + Sydney

In 2016 she co-founded RECollective Theatre Company to create and produce theatre that normalised hopeful discussion around mental distress. She co-wrote their first play ‘deVine,’ directed by Morgana O’Reilly (Neighbours, Homebound, Inside and The White Lotus) which had a sell-out season at Auckland’s Basement Theatre, and a successful tour to communities in the Far North region, with assistance from the Mental Health Foundation’s Media Grant. See MindNet interview here and The Cafe segment here.

In 2017, she was awarded NZ Speech Board’s Best Communicator for writing on the importance of building confidence with public speaking for our youth.

She was in the 2018 Southampton’s company for the Pop Up Globe, performing ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Comedy of Errors’ in Auckland and Sydney, as well as teaching voice and character technique for the subsequent youth companies from 2019. She received a nomination for Best Actress at the Sydney Broadway World Awards for her portrayal of Adriana in Comedy of Errors.

Her screen highlights include featuring as Maggie Potter in the 2020 Warner Brothers docu-feature Heaven and Hell: The Centrepoint Story, and as courageous nurse Geraldine in Tavake Manu’s The Panthers. She made her Netflix debut in season 2 of Sweet Tooth and is collaborating on a feature length script of Beverly Hills Film Festival short Bottle Money, in which she played a leading role as a troubled solo mother.

Her varied experience in theatrical productions, as well as film and television performances are listed below and on the Johnson Laird Management website.

We Talk About Loss - Candlelit Pictures New Zealand International Film Festival

Comedy of Errors - Pop Up Globe Auckland + Sydney

Have Car, Will Travel - Te Pou Theatre

We Talk About Loss - Candlelit Pictures, New Zealand International Film Festival

FILM + TELEVISION

2023 / Sweet Tooth S2 – Perla (Guest) – Netflix, Dir. Toa Fraser, Jim Mickle

2022 / Rūrangi S2 – Jean (Guest) – Dir. Max Currie

Creamerie S2 – Head Guard (Guest) – Dir. Roseanne Liang

2021 / Head High S2 – Cara (Guest) – South Pacific Pictures, Dir. Tim Worrall

2020 / The Panthers – Geraldine (Recurring) – TVNZ + Tavake Manu, Dir. Tom Hern, Vea Mafileo

The Gulf S2 – Sandra (Guest) – The Gulf Productions

Heaven and Hell: The Centrepoint Story – Maggie Potter (Lead) – Warner Bros ITVP NZ, Dir. Natalie Malcon and Thomas Robins

Good Grief – Amba (Guest) – Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions, Dir. Kiel McNaughton

2019 / The Brokenwood Mysteries S6 – Corina Doyle (Guest) – South Pacific Pictures, Dir. Katie Wolfe

2016 / Friday Night Bites ‘Set Up’ – Amy – Flat3 Productions

2011-2013 / Nothing Trivial – Courtney (Recurring) – South Pacific Pictures, Dir. Murray Keane

2010 / Shortland Street – Gemma Jansen (Guest) – South Pacific Pictures

2006 / Tu Wera – Subject for Documentary – Adrenaline Group Ltd, DIr. Pip Te Hira, Simon Flemming

SHORT FILM

2022 / Bottle Money – Mum (Lead) – Dir. Rebekah Tyler

Maumahara – Michelle – Dir. Kaitiaki Rodger

2019 / The Waiting Room – Louise – Dir. Ghazaleh Golbakhsh

2017 / Shed – Carol (Lead) – UNITEC

2015 / Rats – Mum (Lead) – Dir. Elwyn Brown

2015 / Video Heaven – Jade – Dir. Jonathan Zsofi Guy

2011 / Are You Still Here, Still? – Producer (Featured) – Candlelit Pictures, Dir. Jordan Dodson

2011 / We Talk About Loss – Anna (Lead) – Candlelit Pictures, Dir. Oliver Page

2009 / The High Risk Team – Midwife – Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School

2008 / Shopping for One – Jaz – Dir. Lee-Jane Bennion

2006 / The Best Night Ever – 48 Hour Film Festival – UNITEC

2005 / GO – 48 Hour Film Festival – UNITEC

THEATRE

2019 / Heat – Stella (Lead) – Dir. William Moffett

Little Yellow Digger – Bob (Lead) – Tim Bray Theatre Company

2018 / Comedy of Errors – Adriana (Lead) – Pop Up Globe NZ + Sydney, Dir. Miles Gregory

Macbeth – Witch 1, Donalbain – Pop Up Globe NZ + Sydney, Dir. Tom Malaburn

2017 / Tennessee Retro – Dir. James Beaumont, Basement Theatre

2016 / Yours Truly – Harvey – Te Rehia Theatre Company

deVine – Co-Writer, Producer and Actor – RECollective Theatre Company

2015 / Have Car, Will Travel – Diane (Lead) – Te Rehia Theatre Company

Eat The Young Fresh – Melanie – Dir. Patrick Kelly, Auckland Fringe Festival

2014 / Love and Other Noise – Writer and Performer, solo show – Boomtown Festival, Bristol UK

Aotearoa Speaks – Poet and Performer – NoVa Riche, Adelaide Fringe Festival

The Perfect Original – Deviser and Performer – Dir. Robin Kelly, Red Leap Theatre Company Incubator Project

Lucky C*ntry – Performer – Dir. Laurel Devenie, Red Leap Theatre Company

2013 / Lucky C*ntry – Co-devisor and Performer – Short and Sweet Festival

2010 / Closer – Alice – by Patrick Marber, Basement Theatre. Dir. Oliver Page

Tape – role of Amy, and co-director – by Stephen Belber. Co-dir. Oliver Page

2009 / Bedlam by Eli Kent – Luna/Nurse – Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School

Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht – Cook/Aniko/Peasant Woman – Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School

2008 / Far Away by Harold Pinter – Chain Gang – Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School

Macbeth – Macbeth – Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School

Mountain Language by Harold Pinter – Sergeant – Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School

Pakiwaitara – Deviser – Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School

Party Time by Harold Pinter – Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School

The Illusion by Tony Kushner – Elisa/Lyse/Clarina – Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School

Toi Cabaret Anything Goes – Lead Singer – Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School

2007 / The Corner of 4am and Cuba St – Lead Deviser – The Wheelbarrow Group

2006 / One Friday in Eternity – Mary Magdalene – Quarter Passed Productions

2005 / The Laundry Girls – Beattie – AYA Aspiring Young Actors

OTHER PERFORMANCE TRAINING

2016 / Acting for Screen Masterclass, Miranda Harcourt

Acting Masterclass, Raymond Hawthorne

2014 / Working: Scene and Character Masterclass, Nathan Osgood – The Actor’s Centre, London

2009 / Acting for Screen, Cal State Fullerton University, California

Musical Theatre Masterclass and Audition Technique – Cal State Fullerton University

2007-2009 / Bachelor of Performing Arts: Acting from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School

2006 / Advanced Associate Diploma to Teach Speech and Drama, Trinity College London

AWARDS

2018 / Sydney Broadway World Awards Best Actress Nominee: Adriana - Comedy of Errors

2017 / NZ Speech Board Best Communicator Award

2013 / NZ National Poetry Slam – Auckland Champion

REVIEW QUOTATIONS

“This incredibly engaging production ranges from pageantry to pathos, juxtaposing hauntings and battles with tense and tender moments of interpersonal drama, all weaving together to form one splendid theatrical tapestry…Romy Hooper, Mia Langdren and Julia Guthrey are excellent as perhaps the most striking incarnation of the Three Witches I can readily recall. Director Tom Mallaburn has created some extremely effective and elaborate choreography and vocals for them, rendering the supernatural scenes highly memorable indeed.”

/ Australian Stage

“The power to carve grim atmosphere out of sunny afternoon air was instantly established by the three witches (Mia Landgren, Julia Guthrey and Romy Hooper) drawing us into a world where Macbeth's doom is laid out like a feast, just waiting to be gnawed to the bone.”

/ Sydney Morning Herald

“Romy Hooper and Cian Elyse White have the more dramatically satisfying characters, given they have more opportunity to interact and verbally spar with each other, whether as sisters, Bobby and Blair, or cousins, Jimbo and Mikah, respectively. As they attempt to avoid or share blame, play pranks or avoid direct and honest communication, there remains a deep understanding of how people really talk to each other that underpins their performances. It’s also a testament to the writing that the tensions feel realistically developed. Even the most juvenile moments of behaviour are underscored by a seriousness, grounded in the reality of the situation.”

/ Theatre Scenes NZ