Photography: Matt Klitscher.
It was all in the cards for Kiwi actor Jordi Webber. Having wrapped a stint on Home And Away, travelled Europe and moved to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the former Shortland Street star ended 2023 by visiting a tarot card reader.
Jordi, 31, tells Woman’s Day, “She said, ‘You’ve got a warrior coming for you.’ Then January came and this audition arrived. I started to get a feel for the character – he sank into my body. I went, ‘This is the warrior. I’m meant to play this guy.’”
Jordi promptly landed the role of bad-boy gladiator Tarchon in ancient Roman reboot Spartacus: House Of Ashur. He was drawn to the complex “dips and lows” of Tarchon’s story, but admits the intense physicality of the show was a gruelling “role of its own”, which involved one month of fight training.
“By the time we landed on set, we felt like brothers and were like bona-fide fighters,” he tells.
Arriving at the colossal Auckland set was both surreal and nerve-wracking.
Jordi’s biggest role yet
“This is the biggest job I’ve done and when it’s a franchise that already has a massive following, there’s responsibility and pressure to perform.”
Jordi and his co-stars, including his Kiwi bestie Evander Brown, bought a pull-up bar for the set, so they could maintain their gladiatorial physique while working 14-hour days. Starting out in musicals like Grease while growing up in Rotorua, Jordi joined boy band Titanium, before being named Cleo Bachelor of the Year in 2013. He went on to star in Head High and the Netflix rom-com Choose Love. But it was an early action-packed role in Power Rangers that prepared him for the physical side of Spartacus.
“I grew up playing with swords, then on Power Rangers, we did martial arts,” he shares.
“I love surfing and hiking. I’ve even been a Zumba instructor! I’ve always loved movement, but this is the first production where I’ve gotten to fully embody that. And being Māori, we’re good at fluid movements and weaponry, so picking up a sword feels natural.”
Learning confidence through raunchy scenes
Filming the raunchy love scenes started out awkward.
Jordi explains, “It was jarring at first, but it’s empowering to confront that part of you that’s like, ‘I’m almost naked and everyone’s looking at me.’ It forces you to feel confident in your own skin.”
Jordi and much of the cast celebrated the end of filming with a trip to Bali, and since we last spoke to him, the actor – who has Ngāti Toa, Te Āwa, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Arawa and Ngāti Maniapoto heritage, has also crossed the Peruvian ruins of Machu Picchu off his bucket list. He plans to visit the pyramids of Egypt next.
A talented musician, Jordi’s passion for travel inspired his new single Live Or Die, an introspective mix of pop, rock, rap and strings that’s an ode to how exploring the world helps him recharge. His previous single Starlight was written for a future daughter.
Dreaming of fatherhood
Jordi tells, “As actors, we’re constantly shifting our lives. It’s hard to settle, set everything aside and start a family – especially without a partner! I was raised beautifully with loving parents and lots of cousins, so I’ve always wanted to be a dad myself. How cool would it be to see a little you, who you can teach, help, grow and guide?”
He’s currently seeing someone but won’t rush into fatherhood.
“I’m dating but waiting until it’s the right fit,” Jordi says.
“I don’t want to bring kids into the world until I’m really happy and have a beautiful place for them to come into.”
Leaning on loved ones for guidance
As well as his partner, the actor leans on his mum Jacque and dad Chris for support, crediting his mother for instilling his fierce drive.
“She’s still my greatest inspiration,” he tells.
“She’s got four children, she’s a nurse and does community work, but she’ll drop everything to go walk across Spain, climb Everest or do a bodybuilding contest. Mum’s always taught me, ‘If you want to do it, do it!’”
Jordi’s excited to spend his summer camping, surfing and picking strawberries with his whānau. Christmas for him involves games and gumboot throwing with his mum’s side of the family, and fishing and diving off Kāpiti Island with his dad’s whānau.
Jordi then plans to hit Los Angeles in 2026, hoping to land film roles – his ultimate job would be on a Star Wars or pirate film alongside Brad Pitt. Meanwhile, he’s also writing for screen, having penned
a pre-colonial love story.
Celebrating Māori and his heritage
“It’s a New Zealand version of Pocahontas and Tarzan but in te reo,” he reveals.
Jordi hopes his journey shows Kiwi kids where they’re from is their greatest asset.
“Our blood’s our super-power,” he insists.
“Nowadays, we’re constantly seeing things on our screens that make us compare ourselves to others. I just want kids to go, ‘I’m Māori, Polynesian or Kiwi and I’m proud. We can do big things.’”
Spartacus streams on ThreeNow.
