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Lani John Tupu

Biography

Lani John Tupu was born at the 4th of November in 1964 in New Zealand. He has both Samoan and English/New Zealand background. After finishing school he trained classical theatre at the "New Zealand Drama School". His first role was that as Orlando in As you like it. Together with a few other actors he founded the "Walkers and Talkers Theatre Group" which isn't existing anymore. Besides acting in films and at theatre he gives his voice to Australian commercials. He has a business called "The Screen Actors' Studio" where he teaches camera-acting.
Lani owns a blue Burmese tomcat named Angel and loves art, especially oil-painting.He wore a golden Ring at a convention so he's married I fear. Lani came to Farscape when he auditioned for the role of Ka D'Argo. Thank god they gave the role to A. Simcoe and let him play Bialar Crais. Later they offered him to make the voice of Pilot, which was a good decision, too.

Filmography


Finder, The (Australia 1999?) .... Nightclub owner Lost World, The (1999) (TV) .... River Guide Farscape (1999) (series) .... Captain Bialar Crais Farscape (1999) (TV) .... Pilot (voice) Heart of Fire (1997) (TV) .... Roger Parks Marlin Bay (1992) (series) .... David Spence Police Rescue (1990) (series) .... David Goldberg (series 2l) Punisher, The (1989) .... Laccone Send a Gorilla (1988)

Guest appearances

  • Lost World, The (1999) playing "Tolmac" in episode: "Salvation" (episode # 1.4) 10/23/1999
  • Water Rats (1996) playing "Fereti Tauita" in episode: "Catch & Kill" (episode # 1.5) 3/18/1996
  • High Tide (1994) playing "Rev. Henry" in episode: "Let Us Prey" (episode # 1.1) 9/24/1994
  • Mission: Impossible (1988) playing "Otagi" in episode: "Cargo Cult" (episode # 2.12) 1/13/1990
  • Police Rescue (1990) playing "David Goldberg" in episode: "Hard Way, The" (episode # 2.16)
  • Police Rescue (1990) playing "David Goldberg" in episode: "Heartbeat" (episode # 2.26)
  • Police Rescue (1990) playing "David Goldberg" in episode: "From This Day Forward" (episode # 2.23)
  • Flipper (????) playing a Portuguese count

     

    In most biografies you can also read that he played the role of the father of Sione (the main character) in "Sons for the return home" (I wondered about the year it was made, 1979, where Lani was only 15 years old, but I thought maybe it has been an error and the right year should be 1997.)
    David Lindsay,owner of a New Zealand film-website, told me that the year 1979 is right and sent me the following still out of the film:


    On it you can see Moira Walker as the mother and Lani Tupu as the father of Sione. Either this is New Zealand's equivalent for Peter Smith or we see the father of 'our' Lani John Tupu!
    If you want to know more about the film visit the following link: Cinemaster - Wellington Film Guide