Whoever said you should never mix business with pleasure, or work with your spouse, had clearly never met happily married
actors Kip Chapman and Todd Emerson, who are soon to be seen together in an episode of beloved Kiwi detective series
The Brokenwood Mysteries.
Well known for roles on stage and screen, Todd is popular with local audiences for being Bilkey in Westside, while Kip is a familiar face thanks to starring in Jane Campion’s Top of the Lake and, more recently, playing Selin in the new Amazon Prime series Lord of the Rings, describing it as his biggest job ever.
The talented twosome invited Woman’s Day to take a sneak peek at their stunning new home in rustic Warkworth, 40 minutes north of Auckland, in what they term “technically the country”.
As Warren and Dougal on Brokenwood.
“We’ve never been happier”, Todd enthuses as he shows off the stunning residence the couple share with their beloved dog Tui.
“We’ve got a half-acre section, including a giant redwood tree. The garden is huge and we have these wonderful views towards Mahurangi.”
But the actors never guessed this country fantasy was on their horizon until they were living it.
“We’d been in Sydney for four years, acting and doing odd jobs, then, in 2020, we had one of those magic moments when we both got work in the same place at the same time – me shooting Lord of the Rings while Todd was playing Bilkey in Westside,” explains Kip.
Adds Todd, “We came home in January 2020 expecting to be here till May, when this weird global pandemic thing happened and we were forced to reconsider our lives.”
Having sold their one- bedroom abode in Avondale, they looked for a new place to stay on the property ladder before returning to Australia, when they found their Warkworth estate.
“Being us, we bought it 24 hours after seeing it, thinking we’d move here in about 15 years,” tells Todd. “But two months later, still dealing with the pandemic, we decided to move to the beautiful home we fell in love with and here we are.”
Pup Tui completes Todd (left) and Kip’s wee family.
Although Todd was familiar with the area, having enjoyed childhood holidays in Leigh, it wasn’t until they started putting down roots that they truly understood how amazing the region is.
“Mahurangi is close to so many amazing places and we’ve met so many brilliant people. Community is super-important to us. All our homes have been social hubs with people around all the time and that’s not changed since we moved here.”
The vivacious thespians run through the cast of their neighbours who regularly “pile over for an afternoon drink”. Chef Regan, Emma the potter and her fella Jon, Lizzy from Mitre 10 who’s going to help the chaps renovate their kitchen, and Caitlin from For The Thrill, one of Warkworth’s most popular clothing stores. Not wanting to miss the party, Kip’s parents have even moved up from Christchurch.
Together for 15 years and married for six, the pair haven’t let the romance diminish either, and for Todd’s first country birthday, Kip organised a tasty treat from the Warkworth butcher. “Because they’re big Westside fans, I commissioned a special Bilkey-themed sausage from them,” recalls Kip.
“Naturally they said yes to the sausage challenge. When I took Todd in on the day of his birthday, they played Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday and there was the Bilkey Banger in the window with a picture of Todd in character. Hopefully, they’ll bring it back every year,” laughs Kip.
Working together or playing together, these days the content couple want little more than to make enough to keep their beloved dog Tui in chew toys and bones.
“Tui is our Covid baby,” shares Todd. “As actors, you’re constantly accepting any job and you get so used to being completely free, but as you get older, you want to feel more settled. We chose not to have children, but the idea of having a creature to care for has been a lovely sort of anchor, to hold us in one place.
“We love Tui so much and our relationship has definitely deepened because of her.”
Chimes in Kip, “We got some good shots of her today too. The photographer even said she has model potential!”
Clever girl!
Whether or not Tui becomes a model dog, one thing is certain, the two men are more than happy in their new home, where Todd has even has the opportunity to develop his culinary talents.
As for their double act in Brokenwood, Kip is reprising the role of funeral director Warren Bugle and a fun part has been written especially for Todd. “I play Dougal Hornblower, the embalmer, at their one-stop funeral shop, although it’s yet to be determined whether our guest roles will generate a special sausage!”
