Pictures: Izak Rappaport
As an only child growing up in Malaysia, Shoshana Sachi had to make her own fun, prompting her to begin writing stories at just four years old. It wasn’t until 11 years later that she moved to Aotearoa, yet her Kiwi DIY skills had already emerged.
“I was tying bits of paper together with string to make little books,” the 36-year-old Netflix writer and producer tells Woman’s Day from Los Angeles, where she’s now based with her husband, fellow producer and writer Brian Paterson, and their newborn daughter, Priya Priscilla.
“My mum always brings up a story I wrote called The Reindeer That Floo – because I couldn’t spell ‘flew’!”
Writing remained a passion after Shoshana’s Eurasian mum Serena and Indian father Sachi moved the family to Hamilton. At 15, it was a culture shock for Shoshana, who was used to the “melting pot” of Malaysia.
Eventually settling into New Zealand life, she’d thought of becoming an author. However, The Lord Of The Rings got her thinking about film and television writing. While she initially studied law to appease her parents, she switched to a film studies and English degree with their support.
She completed her Master’s in screenwriting at UCLA in the US, then used her networking skills to land work after graduating. However, visa issues caused setbacks. She only had one month’s rent left when she landed her big break as a writer on star-studded superhero series Doom Patrol.
Suddenly, Shoshana was on set alongside Timothy Dalton, “sweet” Matt Bomer and “humble, shy” Brendan Fraser, who complimented her writing.
“It was cool working with such big names!” she admits. “While being on set was intimidating, I had to gain confidence and find my voice, saying, ‘Actually, the line should be said this way.’”
Shoshana says speaking up can be daunting as a woman of colour.
“Sometimes I’m the only person who notices if something’s offensive or doesn’t make sense. It’s such a tough industry to get into and I feel lucky, so I wonder, ‘Do I rock the boat and mention it?’ But the best bosses are willing to listen.”
After weathering the 2023 writers’ strike, during which she and Brian, 37, protested together, Shoshana’s now co-executive producing Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives, a dream gig given her love for horror and ghost stories.
It’s the opposite for Brian, who’s more into dramas and worked on hit show Riverdale.
Shoshana never imagined dating another writer but found Brian “cute” and swiped right in 2018. The pair clicked and she loved meeting someone who understood her job. They tied the knot at a courthouse in 2019 – with Shoshana rocking a Forever 21 frock – then saved for a bigger bash in Malibu in 2022.
“We organised everything ourselves, which was chaos, but it miraculously came together. My favourite moment was our first dance. We’re introverts, so dancing in front of a crowd wasn’t something we were looking forward to. But, we focused on each other and it was really special.”
Initially, Shoshana was worried about how motherhood might impact her career, but she was thrilled when she got pregnant. Despite severe nausea, carpal tunnel and gestational hypertension, Priya arrived healthy via Caesarean on 3 June.
“The moment I heard her cry, I started crying too,” she admits. “I was relieved she was OK and wanted to hold her immediately. It was magical.”
Shoshana’s extra-conscious about going easy on herself in the early days of motherhood. Especially considering she has experienced depression since her teens. The stress of moving to the US heightened her struggles, leading Shoshana to see a psychiatrist, get diagnosed and begin life-changing medication. She has also recommenced therapy and Brian is hugely supportive.
“He gets it because he deals with anxiety too,” she tells. “He’s more emotionally in-tune than most men I’ve met. He’s always checking in.”
It was Brian who picked Priya’s Indian name after hearing it in the film Turning Red. The couple hope to instil Priya’s “insanely varied heritage” in her, especially the family values of Indian, Asian and Kiwi culture.
While raising a family in LA can be challenging, Shoshana’s grateful for amazing friends.
“People tend to be an island in LA, but we somehow found our village,” says Shoshana. She wrote a book, The Way Of The River, inspired by Hamilton life and Māori culture. “They’ve been showering Priya with gifts and checking on us.”
Priya’s grandparents have also visited and Shoshana now feels closer to her mum.
“It has been amazing leaning on her emotionally and hearing her experiences with me in those early days – all her anxieties, ups and downs. It helps knowing it’s normal to find motherhood complex!”
Likewise, Priya’s brought Shoshana and Brian closer.
“I’m fond of the time we stayed up bingeing shows while Priya was cluster feeding,” she says. “It was overwhelming having a newborn to feed every two hours, but we binged Girls5eva and Ghosts, and laughed a lot. She just started smiling. Every time she smiles, nothing else matters.”
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