Meet Rising-Star of The Panthers Series Lealani Siaosi
Lealani Siaosi’s portrayal of a young Misatauveve Dr. Melani Anae had audiences captivated right from the first scene on the trending television series The Panthers. Depicting diverse emotions of strength, resistance, grief, and empathy, Lealani proved that her newness to the acting world had no limits on her range. From beginning to end, this rising star was exceptional and will definitely be on our list of ‘ones to watch’.
THE PANTHERS is one of only four shows in the world to be accepted into the festival as part of the TIFF Primetime Programme, where critically acclaimed shows such as Black Mirror and Transparent have premiered in previous years. Inspired by the Black Panther movement in the USA, Will (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), Melani (Lealani Siaosi) and a group of young Polynesians form The Polynesian Panthers, to fight the system and become the history making Revolutionaries that their community so desperately needed them to be.
Lealani brings to the screen a beautiful depiction of the strong tama’itai Samoa that Melani Anae was in the 70’s as she served her community through the Polynesian Panthers. The series follows the journey of Melani as she tries to bring about change for our Pasifika community. The talented newcomer actress Lealani painted this story with a careful hand and vivid colours.
We were able to speak to Lealani about her role in The Panthers, young Pacific female representation, racism in New Zealand and so much more below:
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What motivated you to audition for Melani Anae?
After the very first table read, Melani left me feeling motivated, empowered, validated. She reminded me a lot of myself and I say that in the most humble way possible because Melani Anae is an unmatched Queen.
But it was her vulnerabilities that I resonated with the most. Melani understands loss and the internal struggle that comes with it. Melani understands the balancing that's required to be a teine Samoa in Aotearoa, when it's time to wear pants and when it's time to sulu an ie. Melani understands being diminished no matter how many facts and figures you bring to the table. Melani understands being mad at the world but allowing the love of her people, her community, to overpower it. Melani made me feel normal.
I joined this industry because I wanted stories to be told, voices to be heard, Pacific voices especially. As soon as Melani made me feel heard, I knew I wanted to give others that same feeling of acknowledgement and assurance whether it be as Lealani or through Melani. That type of peace and understanding is unparalleled.
What were the lessons that you as Lealani Siaosi learned from stepping into the shoes of Melani Anae?
Slipping on Melani's black, leather boots gave me this instant feeling of power. It was like a channeling of this unspoken, invisible energy. It's the exact way the real Melani Anae carries herself. She's elegant, confident and unapologetic.
Over recent years, I've developed this anxiousness when it comes to meeting new people and entering new spaces. Something I never experienced as a kid. But Melani taught me how to hold my own. She taught me how to turn fear into courage. From the second I auditioned to how I carry myself in my everyday life, that mindset continues to flow through me. Whenever I feel that voice slowly creep up on me telling me to leave or to keep quiet, I channel my inner Melani Anae, plant my feet and talk my shiiiii.
How important do you feel it is for young Pacific girls to be able to see a strong role model like Melani on screen?
Lilo & Stitch has and always will be my favourite Disney movie. I had it on repeat almost every day growing up. My Dad would put on the Samoan radio station and I'd perform the dance sequence from the opening titles like I was hosting my own one woman fiafia night (complete with an out of tune ukulele which I also played myself). I may not be Hawaiian and I may not have a blue alien for a dog, but Lilo was brown. She cared for her family. She had a name you'd have to sound out to spell. She was the closest thing I had to representation.
Melani Anae gives you that little bit more. She identifies the pressures, the values, the blessings and the complexities that come with being a young Pacific girl. And like you say, she's strong. Which is such a nice change from being portrayed as the typical submissive Pacific girl or the aggressive and therefore undesirable Pacific girl. Who knew there were more than two types of Pacific girls?! Apparently, not the media.
The media you consume has such an impact on who you are and who you want to be. Unfortunately other than Miss Lilo, all I had was Hannah Montana, Gabriella Montez and Alex Russo. As you can imagine, only surrounding yourself with role models that are the genetic opposite of you can be damaging... It makes me happy knowing our young Pacific girls can have someone who actually looks like them. The more our young girls can see characters like themselves on screen, not just filling space but owning space the way that Melani does, the more power our girls will have to own space in their everyday lives as themselves. As. They. Should.
The Panthers series is set in the 70s yet decades later it seems that racism in New Zealand still weighs down on the Pasifika community. What do you feel our Pacific community can learn from the stories of the series while we continue to fight against racial discrimination today?
Fighting racism is tiring. It's like walking up a hill that never seems to flatten. I feel exhausted every time my flatmate tells me about another troll she's arguing with on Twitter, when I see another article going viral within the Poly realms or when I stupidly read another thread of Facebook comments under a post that literally has nothing to do with race... it's tiring.
But the stories of the Polynesian Panthers, their struggles and fights from the 70s, they reignite fire. They fuel my tank every single time. Looking back on our history reminds us of why the movement began, why we so desperately needed change and the risk of travelling back in time if we give up. Our OG Polynesian Panthers give us resilience because with their stories, we remember our why. Yes, it's tiring. Racism is so damn draining. But if they can protest from the 70s and run Educate to Liberate in 2021, then we can keep the fight going too.
If you as Lealani Siaosi could start a revolution today, what would be the cause and what do you want to be changing for the better?
Awareness surrounding mental health, specifically for our Pacific men would be my revolution. I have a lot of incredible men in my life who I've unfortunately seen struggle through immense pain without even realising it. I would give anything for our young Pacific boys to be taught about mental health from a young age so they can grow with the knowledge they need to not struggle in silence.
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