Photography: Suzy Gasson
The past two years have been a whirlwind for radio star Harrison Keefe – he’s gone from polishing glasses in a restaurant to landing roles on Wellington Paranormal and Shortland Street, going viral dancing in a shed and being invited to hang out with Keith Urban.
“It’s just been insane,” grins the Edge Arvos host.
“I’m stupidly grateful to have got to this point.”
Like most great stories of “overnight success”, the 25-year-old Hawke’s Bay lad’s rise was years in the making and only possible thanks to the solid support of his parents, Nicky and Tom, both 54.
As the youngest of three, Harrison was “such a vibrant, happy, fun-loving child”, shares his mum.
“He’d spend hours making up dance shows, doing magic tricks and playing dress-ups. He just loved being the one to make everyone laugh. His dream was – and probably still is – to become a Wiggle.”
From rugby boots to dance shoes
The TikTok superstar first found his groove at age five, when he swapped his rugby boots for dance shoes.
Nicky laughs, “When we saw him teaching his friend in the team dance moves on the field instead of chasing the ball, that was our sign!”
Harrison recalls, “My whole life was dance. Tap, jazz, contemporary, musical theatre… You name it, I did it. My parents poured so much into getting me to classes and taking me to shows.”
Facing rejection
However, after his last year of college, when he applied to drama school, broadcasting school and dance school, he was rejected from all three.
He admits, “I remember just thinking, ‘What the f**k do I do? That’s all I know.’”
Throwing himself into his hospitality job, he washed dishes in the morning, waited tables at night, then tended the bar and polished glasses until close. Summers were spent packing apples at his dad’s packhouse.
“I did a whole year like that nonstop,” he recalls.
“I had nothing else.”
A mother’s belief
Thankfully, Nicky kept his dream alive by encouraging him to audition again for Toi Whakaari drama school.
Harrison remembers, “I thought, ‘I’ve been rejected enough – it’s obviously not meant to be.’ But Mum pushed me to try again.”
Nicky explains, “It was difficult seeing Harrison not make it into drama school the first time because it was something he really wanted. He decided he wasn’t going to try again, but I strongly encouraged him because it was a path we could see him flourish in.”
Harrison says, “Mum believed in me – that’s why I’m here. But I had this shitty attitude towards the auditions because I thought I wasn’t going to get in.”
Drama school dreams come true
To his surprise, his lackadaisical approach helped him through each round, and finally, he got a letter of acceptance.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he enthuses.
“Drama school was the best three years of my life. I found my place. I’d always loved dance, but when they gave me a few lines to say in a play, I just loved it.”
On set with Jemaine Clement
His first big audition was with his best mate, Roy for Wellington Paranormal.
“We had to send in a ridiculous three-minute dance montage. Suddenly, we were on set with our comedy and writing idol Jemaine Clement, who loved our dancing. “He was trying to show people our video and they were saying, ‘Yes, Jemaine, you’ve already shown us.’ I couldn’t believe it!”
Post-audition slump
Yet after the high came a crash. Months rolled by with no more work and Harrison threw himself into writing, scraping by financially on one commercial.
“I had nothing else to do,” he reveals.
“I was lucky enough to have the support of my girlfriend Sarah, who told me to stick to it and give it a go. She was very kind.”
Drama meets romance
The couple met when Harrison was in drama school – the dance academy that Sarah, 24, attended was in the very same building. Eventually, Harrison, who’s of Ngāti Pāhauwera descent, was cast in Shortland Street.
“No matter what they say, it’s every actor’s dream to be on Shorty,” muses Harrison.
“It was a total bucket-list item for me.”
From ahikārora to viral fame
From there, he landed a role on the bilingual show Ahikāroa, which streams on Māori+.
What he could never anticipate was that an impromptu dance session in a shed on set with his co-star Nepia Vaeau Takuira-Mita would catapult them to global fame.
He explains, “The next day, Nepia said to me, ‘Bro, that video did pretty well – a few hundred thousand views.’ So we did another one and it skyrocketed with millions of views. “Kim Kardashian, Reese Witherspoon, Kristen Bell… These random celebrities were all sharing it. A mate told us Jason Momoa and Jack Black were watching our videos on the Minecraft set every day to warm up. Life changed just like that – it was surreal.”
The vibe guys take the world by storm
Known as the Vibe Guys, the pair became an overnight internet sensation. They were taken to Sydney to perform at parties and events, and Keith Urban flew them over to hang out with him and open for his concert.
“He wanted to know our story – all about us,” remembers Harrison.
“He even said, ‘My wife [Nicole Kidman] says hi’. Classic!”
Hype for the All Blacks
The boys were later booked to hype up the All Blacks at the end of a training camp – a spot usually reserved for Six60.
“Unbelievably, coach Razor [Scott Robertson] is a big fan, but the ABs had been training so hard, they were knackered. They just wanted to eat dinner and go to bed. They were falling asleep in their chairs. “From then on, whenever we were nervous, we’d say, ‘At least it can’t be as bad as the All Blacks!’”
“We were just two idiots dancing to Céline Dion in a shed. Suddenly the world was into it. People would message saying, ‘Your dancing brings me joy,’ ‘You’ve saved me from a dark time,’ ‘You’re breaking the stigma of masculinity,’ or, ‘You’ve taught my boyfriend to dance.’ It was amazing.”
The viral fame opened unexpected doors. When The Edge invited the Vibe Guys to dance during a charity radiothon, Harrison ended up chatting to a quiet man in the corner.
A surprise opportunity
“I’d seen him with his arms crossed, looking like he wasn’t having any fun, so I thought I’d go talk to him and cheer him up,” laughs Harrison.
“I had no idea he was the boss. Next thing, I’m offered a Saturday night radio show.”
After months of learning the ropes, he joined co-hosts Sean Hill and Steph Monks on The Edge Arvos.
Proud parents, proud whānau
His parents are clearly proud of his achievements as they beam with pride while talking about him during the Woman’s Day photoshoot at their Hawke’s Bay home.
“The best feeling in the world for me is seeing our kids following their dreams and loving their lives,” enthuses Nicky.
“I’m immensely proud of Harrison giving everything a good go.”
A role model for many
Tom adds, “We’ve raised our kids to work hard, be grateful, be kind and stay humble. I’m without a doubt Harrison’s biggest fan. I’m so proud of his drive, passion and commitment to his craft. “What he might not fully realise yet is how proud our Ngāti Pāhauwera wha¯nau are of him. He’s a role model to many and while that’s a heavy burden for someone his age, it’s one he carries with grace.”
Listen to Harrison on The Edge Arvos from 3pm weekdays.
