Will Hall’s love affair with The Chase began, fittingly, with a chase – off the beach at Mt Maunganui. Holidaying with his former Shortland Street co-star Ben Barrington about 10 years ago, Will watched the actor and his family rush indoors at 5pm.
Will recalls, “I asked what they were doing and they said, ‘We gotta watch The Chase!’”
Instantly hooked, Will became a fan of trivia titan Shaun Wallace, aka the Dark Destroyer. And now, in his role working for Cure Kids, the Westside and Nothing Trivial actor’s about to MC a nationwide quiz tour, raising money for the charity with Shaun himself!
A dream come true for a quiz fan
“Never in a million years did I think a decade after watching my first episode of The Chase, I’d be touring with Shaun,” enthuses Will, 46.
“In fact, during the Papamoa leg, Shaun and I will be staying in the same beach house with Ben’s mum Maree. How Kiwi is that – to get your mate’s mum to host the Dark Destroyer?!”
Will first met the British brainiac, 65, at a fundraiser in Queenstown last year.
He remembers, “I had no idea what to expect because he’s such a big celebrity, but I was blown away by how genuine, down to earth and hard-working he is.”
An unforgettable road trip
The day afterwards, Will offered Shaun a lift to Dunedin, where he was taking some Cure Kids supporters to an All Blacks game and Shaun was headed to a quiz night.
“I got to know Shaun a bit more on the road and we hung out for the day in Dunedin,” Will tells.
“After meeting some All Blacks, we had a helicopter ride to the peak of Mt Vanguard, where we drank Champagne and played rugby with a ball signed by former ABs captain Sam Whitelock.”
Not long after, it was decided every cent from Shaun’s next quiz tour would go to Cure Kids, New Zealand’s largest charitable supporter of child health research, with Will acting as quiz master. It’s a role perfectly suited to Will, who played quiz team leader Cory in the local comedy Nothing Trivial from 2011 to 2014.
A new direction down south
Since then, life’s changed dramatically for the star. After appearing in a production of Ladies’ Night in his hometown of Christchurch in 2021, he decided to relocate back down south and explore a career change.
“There wasn’t much acting work on offer in Auckland at the time due to COVID, and my mum and dad weren’t very well, so we wanted to be near them to help out,” reveals Will, who has sons Freddie, nine, and Jed, seven, with wife Sarah.
Life in Redcliffs
Four years on, the family’s thriving in the seaside suburb of Redcliffs, with Will currently in the running for a second term on the Heathcote Community Board, as well as being an engagement leader for Cure Kids for the past four years.
Aside from a guest spot on TVNZ series A Remarkable Place To Die, the star hasn’t put his hat in the ring for acting roles recently, but says he hasn’t closed the door either.
“If something pops up, I’m 100% open!” he insists. “I miss walking onto a set and the buzz of making a show or film. There’s nothing like it.”
Shaun’s kiwi love affair
Shaun Wallace can’t wait to get amongst the action with Kiwi fans next month when he embarks on an eight-stop tour across New Zealand in partnership with Cure Kids and Sky TV’s quiz company Believe It Or Not.
The tour will be The Chase star’s fifth visit in six years to what he calls “one of my favourite places on Earth” and once again, he’s using his profile to spotlight an incredible cause.
“Cure Kids is a charity close to my heart,” the Dark Destroyer enthuses.
Travelling around Aotearoa alongside Will Hall, Shaun’s expecting plenty of laughs and brain-boggling trivia.
He says, “The people of New Zealand treat me with a lot of love and affection, which I really embrace.”
Kiwi love and famous friends
In between quiz events, Shaun’s eager to explore the towns on the itinerary and maybe reconnect with a few famous friends.
“The All Blacks have been my favourite team for 50 years,” he reveals.
“I’ve struck up some good friendships, particularly with Sam Whitelock and Kieran Read. It’d be great to see those guys.”
He also hints that he’ll be making a few unannounced appearances at local pub quizzes, saying, “It’s always fun to give quizzers a chance to take on the Dark Destroyer, but I’ll be ready!”
Shaun hopes Kiwis will turn out “in their droves” to enjoy a night of trivia magic during his tour.
“It’s going to be great fun!” he says.
Quizmaster’s top tips
And his top tips for quizzing glory?
“Always look out for clues in the questions,” he advises.
“Be confident when giving your answers and most of all, enjoy yourselves!”
Shaun and Will’s Cure Kids Quiz Nights, in partnership with Sky’s quiz company Believe It Or Not, tours the country from 3 November. Visit ticketmaster.co.nz for more info and tickets.
To donate to Cure Kids, visit curekids.org.nz.
