Photography: Robert Trathen.
After making her film debut as Chardonnay in Kiwi blockbuster Boy, Rickylee Russell-Waipuka got used to getting bombarded with spontaneous moonwalks and requests for selfies. But for the then-teenager, the hardest shift wasn’t public recognition – it was feeling the distance grow between herself and classmates at her all-girls school in Auckland.
“It was basically the whole tall-poppy situation, but you don’t know that when you’re only 13!” says Ricky, now 30, whose character was famously unimpressed by lead actor James Rolleston’s Michael Jackson moves.
“It was very challenging. High school years are a difficult time for anyone, but add a sprinkle of fame and it was pretty intense.”
The situation eventually took a toll on Ricky. It affected how she saw herself and led her to transfer to a full-immersion Māori education program.
“I remember Mum said to me, ‘You’re not even the same you any more!’ so I ended up moving schools. Things chilled out with some male energy around.”
Surrounded by other students who were acting in Shortland Street, Ricky settled into being “just normal”.
From setbacks to passion
She explains, “I didn’t feel like a weirdo. After all the crap at my first school, I thought, ‘Nah, I don’t want to do acting any more,’ so I focused on my passion for dance and kapa haka.”
However, despite her rocky journey from schoolgirl to film star, Ricky has no regrets.
“The whole world opened up for me with that movie,” she tells.
“I almost wanted to become a hair and makeup artist because I thought that was so cool during filming. I didn’t know this creative industry here existed. “I had such an amazing time on set. James and I became good friends. When we were shooting, his nana Christina, who’s now passed, was on set as a chaperone and became Nan for all us kids. “We were like whānau after that. We’d always make sure to stop in at Nan’s if we were ever passing through Ōpōtiki. I even had Christmas with James, Nana Chris and some of the other extended whānau one year.”
Studying abroad and returning home
After finishing high school, Ricky – who is of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Raukawa descent – moved to Argentina. She spent a year there studying dance. But while the young actress thought she was done with film and TV, fate intervened.
Returning to sail around Aotearoa in a traditional double-hulled canoe – “basically like Moana, navigating by stars” – meant a return to the spotlight as her journey was documented for local series Waka Warriors.
Producers noticed her talent and asked Ricky to audition for another show, but her ambitions now lay behind the cameras.
She admits, “I wanted to be the one making the decisions.”
Breaking into producing
Determined to become a producer, Ricky convinced Auckland film production company The Sweetshop to take a chance on her. That was seven years ago and she’s never looked back. When Woman’s Day catches up with Ricky, it’s because the first film she’s co-produced, Maārama, opens in cinemas this week.
A gothic revenge horror starring Madam’s Aria¯na Osborne, it follows the story of an adopted Māori woman called Mary, who is fighting to keep her identity while living in mid-19th century England.
Overcoming production challenges
“We’d hoped to shoot part of the film there, but the UK funding was declined at the last minute,” says Ricky.
“So we rejigged our finance plan and ended up building a manor at Mincher Gardens in Coatesville, Auckland, as well as recreating the Yorkshire cliffs in Dunedin. “Right from the get-go, we’ve been holding our breaths a lot with this project. There was severe flooding in Dunedin a week before we went down and it was a wild ride getting this film financed.”
While producing was something she admits “scared” her at first, she’s now clear what she wants for her future and is also working with Kiwi star Cliff Curtis to pour fresh energy into a project that he’s had sitting in the pipeline for many years.
“I sometimes pinch myself when it comes to the talents I’m working with today,” she grins.
Collaborating with Kiwi talent
“I’m just so grateful for the belief and support I’ve received from the film and television community, especially the aunties!”
With her passion for producing all fired up, Ricky is now looking to write and create her own series.
“I’m proud of the hard mahi I’ve been putting in to set myself up in a great position to make that a reality one day.”
Mārama opens in cinemas on Thursday.
