Gazing out on to Auckland’s Lake Pupuke, James Rolleston smiles as he recalls the moment back in November 2015 when he first kissed his girlfriend Ayeesha Taylor during a romantic sunset picnic on Piha Beach.
“We were sat on top of a hill, drinking ginger beer and eating snacks,” says the 19-year-old actor, who stole the nation’s heart back in 2010 in the movie Boy, as the big-mouthed, small-town kid with killer Michael Jackson moves. “And then we were lying there, kind of close, and I was like …”
“‘Can I kiss you, oi?’” his stunning 20-year-old partner interjects, giggling as she recalls the endearingly awkward moment. “It was an amazing kiss – he’s got the best lips! And we’ve been together ever since.”
In truth, that kiss had been a long time coming – three years to be precise. It was love at first sight for James, who grew up in the small Bay of Plenty town of Opotiki, when he first spied Aucklander Ayeesha on the beach in Mount Maunganui in 2013.
“She was wearing a bright yellow bikini, looking gorgeous,” smiles the Pork Pie star, telling how they kept locking eyes across the crashing waves. “I didn’t talk to her, though. I kinda shied away and flexed my pecs a bit.”
The pair met fleetingly at a party a few weeks later and when James later moved to Auckland to pursue his acting dreams, they became firm friends. But despite his growing success, the talented Dark Horse and The Dead Lands actor never made a move on his dream girl. She even dated another boy for a year!
Eventually, it was Ayeesha who took the initiative, inviting him on that sunset picnic in Piha. “We already had a strong friendship, so it just felt so natural,” explains James. But this isn’t your usual Boy-meets-girl love story.
In their year-long relationship, James and Ayeesha have been through more than many couples endure in a lifetime. They have gone from being carefree teens who thought nothing of throwing a mattress in the back of the car and exploring Aotearoa, to their life now as a restless patient and a compassionate caregiver.
On July 26 last year, soon after filming finished on the remake of Goodbye Pork Pie, James suffered critical injuries when the car he was driving crashed into Otara Bridge, near Opotiki.
While his passenger and friend Kaleb Maxwell was injured but managed to escape, James remained trapped in the car for an hour, sustaining serious brain and leg injuries, as well as a punctured lung. He was in a coma for four weeks.
“It definitely feels like a miracle that I’m sitting here right now,” he tells Woman’s Day in our exclusive interview. “I’m 80% better, but I’m hoping that it won’t be long till I’m back to 100%.”
Since last August, he’s been undertaking daily rehab and the improvements have been vast. But there’s no doubt that the love of his girlfriend has carried James through.
“She’s just awesome,” he smiles. “I love her teeth and her smile – her dimples and her hair too! But most of all, she’s so caring. She drives me to all my rehab appointments and helps me with my speech every day. She’ll make me read to her while we’re driving. She’s my doctor and my taxi, but she’s always been like that. Even before the accident, she really looked out for me.”
James Rolleston is totally smitten with his gorgeous girlfriend, Ayeesha Taylor.
“She’s just awesome,” he smiles.
“I love her teeth and her smile – her dimples and her hair too! But most of all, she’s so caring,” James reveals.
It was love at first sight for James, who grew up in the small Bay of Plenty town of Opotiki, when he first spied Aucklander Ayeesha on the beach in Mount Maunganui in 2013.
The pair met fleetingly at a party a few weeks later and when James later moved to Auckland to pursue his acting dreams, they became firm friends.
Eventually, it was Ayeesha who took the initiative, inviting him on a sunset picnic in Piha. “We already had a strong friendship, so it just felt so natural,” explains James.
The couple grew closer than ever after James suffered a serious car crash on July 26 last year, with Ayeesha staying right by James’ side for his journey to recovery.
“She drives me to all my rehab appointments and helps me with my speech every day. She’ll make me read to her while we’re driving. She’s my doctor and my taxi, but she’s always been like that. Even before the accident, she really looked out for me,” James reveals.
