11 Pacific Islander Actors Who Are Serving On Screen And Deserve Way More Recognition

If you don't know, now you know.

What do Dwayne Johnson, KJ Apa, Jason Momoa and Nicole Scherzinger all have in common apart from beauty, fame and over five million Instagram followers?

@therock / Via instagram.com, @nicolescherzinger / Via instagram.com, @kjapa / Via instagram.com, @prideofgypsies / Via instagram.com

They are all Pacific Islanders who are excelling in their chosen creative fields.

Closer to home, Aussie screens are also heating up with Pacific Islander talent and creativity. 

Here are 11 Pacific Islanders slaying on Aussie screens you need to be watching:

1. Angelina Thomson (Cook Islander/Australian actor and singer)

@angelinathomson / Via instagram.com

Raised in Yugambeh/the Gold Coast, Thomson has switched one iconic beach for another — as she's currently appearing in Home and Away and firmly planted in the drama-filled shores of Summer Bay. 

Being on Home and Away is huge — considering the show has famously been a launching pad for actors such as Chris Hemsworth, Samara Weaving and Heath Ledger who've gone on to enjoy major international success. 

In her role as Kirby on the show, Thomson, who is also a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, also showcases her singing talent. 

Watch Angelina Thomson in Home and Away on 7Plus. 

2. Ethan Browne (Māori actor)

Home and Away / Seven Network / @atlas143 / Via instagram.com

While Home and Away has long had Pacific Islander actors among its cast, they've never had a whole family of Pacific Islander background. Ethan’s character, Tane Parata, was one of the Parata family members from New Zealand on the show. A particularly powerful moment, that was also a personal favourite, was the Parata men performing a breathtaking Haka in tribute to a family member who passed away overseas.

Watch Ethan Browne in Home and Away on 7Plus.

3. Lawrence Ola (Samoan actor)

@lawrence_pola / Via instagram.com

I first saw Ola on a television commercial for underwear and soon he was convincing me that a specific mattress that could withstand being rolled over by a truck was a need, not a want. Before long, Ola popped up in Nine Network's After the Verdict and more recently in Upright on Binge. You heard it here first — my prediction is Ola slaying his way to a main role in a comedy series this year because he deserves it. 

Watch Lawrence Ola in Upright on Binge. 

4. Rachel House (Māori and European actor)

Gregg Deguire / Getty Images

House is a comedic legend. Her scene-stealing role as the principal in Heartbreak High made me want to go back to high school. The penis scene is a highlight, but House brings the laughs throughout the entire series.

Watch Rachel House in Heartbreak High on Netflix.

5. Rose Matafeo (Samoan actor)

@rosematafeo / Via instagram.com

If you're starting to see a pattern that everyone on this list has serious comedic chops, you'd be right on the money. Matafeo is one of the funniest actors I've seen — and her hair gives me life. 

Watch Rose Matafeo in Starstruck on ABC iView. 

6. Alex Aiono (Māori, Samoan and Caucasian actor)

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin / HBO Max / @alexaiono / Via instagram.com

Aiono has made huge strides from his YouTube days with his acting career just beginning to take off. Having already starred on the big screen in Finding Ohana and with the success of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, this is a name to watch.

Watch Alex Aiono in Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin on Binge.

7. Alex Tarrant (Māori, Samoan and Niuean actor)

@aggytarrant / Via instagram.com

You'll most likely recognise Tarrant from his roles in NCIS: Hawai'i and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power While these two roles are opposites in every sense of the word, Alex’s acting chops, strength and compassion shine through on screen in both series.

Watch Alex Tarrant in NCIS: Hawaiʻi on Paramount+ and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime.

8. Kelemete Misipeka (Samoan actor)

@dj_kelemeke / Via instagram.com

Acting is a wide and varied profession — and voice actors often fly under the radar. If the name Kelemete Misipeka is unfamiliar to you, his voice might not be — as he voices the Easter Island head on the animated series Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again.

Watch Kelemete Misipeka in Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again on Disney+.

9. Uli Latukefu (Tongan actor)

Young Rock / NBC / @ulilatukefu / Via instagram.com

Uli’s most successful role to date has been starring in The Rock as a younger version of Dwayne Johnson. If you haven’t watched it yet, you need to because Uli has all the charisma of the real Dwayne Johnson inside the ring.

Watch Uli Latukefu in Young Rock on Binge. 

10. Stacey Leilua (Samoan actor and producer)

Young Rock / NBC / @staceyleilua / Via instagram.com

Leilua lights up the screen in every scene she's in on Young Rock. You feel the love of a mother through her acting — plus, her clapbacks are on point each and every time.

Watch Stacey Leilua in Young Rock on Binge. 

11. And finally, Ana Tuisil (Samoan actor)

Young Rock / NBC / @atuisila / Via instagram.com

Tuisil also stars in Young Rock as The Rock’s grandmother. She slays not only because she is a Pacific Islander on a mainstream TV show (that is successful worldwide), but because she is breaking ceilings as a female actor over 50 on a hit sitcom.

Watch Ana Tuisil in Young Rock on Binge. 

Let us know which other Pacific Islander actors deserve more recognition in the comments!

Morwenna Petaia is a Samoan-Australian writer from Melbourne on Bunurong land.

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