HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - TALIA'ULI LATUKEFU

TALIA'ULI LATUKEFU 

Actor 

Tongan 

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My name is Talia’uli Latukefu but most people know me as Uli. I’m Tongan, born and raised in Australia and I’m an actor. 

What were the pathways that led you to pursue acting? 

When I was about 21, I met a couple from church who were running a creative arts program for at risk youth in Brisbane, Australia. Id recently moved there from Sydney where I grew up. They were really inspiring. A small group of us devised a musical together with a local playwright. It was called Paradise - The Musical, mostly young Pacific Island cast and original music. It was a lot of fun. A few years later the director emailed me about an audition for a play. I auditioned and got the role, that role lead to another audition and a small tour. Later that year I auditioned for NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) I got in, did my 3 year degree and the rest is history. 

You've acted in big budget Netflix series & movies as well as smaller TV shows.  What attracted you to 'The Legend of Baron To'a' and what was the audition process for you? 

Working with other Polynesian actors was really the attraction from the outset. My agent sent me an email about a table read for the movie and saw Nathaniel Lees and Jay Laga'aia were potentially attached and felt this might be a once in a lifetime thing. (John Tui was shooting Hobbs and Shaw at the time) So I flew to NZ for the day, we did the read, we all gave notes and went our separate ways. The genre was fun too with the big action sequences and great characters that I thought if we can all pull this off, its going to really be something.

There's quite a bit of action and fight sequences in the movie - did you do your own stunts?  How long prior to filming did you have and what was your daily routine to get in shape for the role?

Yeah, I had about 12 different stunt sequences all up to learn in about two weeks before we started shooting. It was a lot in a really short amount of time but the stunt team headed up by Augie Davis (Lord of the Rings) and Andy Stehlin (X-Men) and myself worked really hard making the most of our time. I wanted Fritz to move and behave a particular way in combat so we worked on a mix of disciplines  as well as creating sequences that we were excited by.

I was also working out on a separate nutrition and training program everyday either before or after work.  6 weeks isn't long to shoot a movie of this genre so some days I would shoot scenes and on my break, rehearse with other actors on our fights and then go back to shooting the rest of the movie. I ended up doing the all the fight sequences apart from the impact stunts and parts of the running sequence which my double Tipene Kerei covered for. 

What do you hope the Tongan people will take away from the movie after watching it? 

I hope Tongans feel a sense of pride and connection to the movie as well just have fun. I don't really like to pre-empt or have any expectations on what audiences will take away from anything I do, but I do hope that. It was a proud moment for me personally working on it with our heritage woven in to the movie that way it is. John Tui and I are both proud of the movie and to be in it. An action comedy centred around a Tongan father and son both played by Tongan actors is pretty rare on the big screen so hopefully that’s something exciting for our people. I’d love for our children to see more of people like themselves on screens and feel inspired or hopeful to believe in something big. 

What has been the most challenging moment & then what has been the proudest moment in your career? 

When our daughter was born I didn't land any acting work for over a year. That was tough but it happens. You start second guessing this road you're on especially when I had a family to think about and provide for. But God knows and He works it out. He always has.

I think the proudest moment of my career will be the premiere and roll out of The Legend of Baron To'a in cinemas. I’m so proud of this movie, on so many levels. I’m proud to represent my family and my culture of the Kingdom of Tonga in a way that people of all walks of life will (hopefully) enjoy. 

What do you love most about being a Tongan today?

I don’t know.  I feel the same way about being Tongan today as I always have. I love the way we celebrate though. It makes me laugh thinking about it. Its so wild and O.T.T and sometimes illegal but it makes me laugh and teary at the same time. Old men and women dancing and waving the Tongan flags in the street to young kids singing Tongan hymns. I’m always proud to see it. 

The Legend of Baron To’a will be released in nationwide cinemas on February 20th