Madeleine Sami
Encyclopedia
Madeleine Jane Sami is a New Zealand actress, comedian and musician.
Madeleine was raised in the Onehunga
suburb of Auckland
, New Zealand
; and attended Onehunga High School
. She is of Irish and Fiji Indian heritage. Madeleine starred in the long running New Zealand soap Shortland Street
from 1998–1999, and more recently in the comedy film Sione's Wedding
. She has since featured in various New Zealand television shows including Outrageous Fortune
, The Jaquie Brown Diaries
and Seven Days
.
She has also formed a pop band called "The Sami Sisters" together with two of her siblings, Anji and Priya Sami and on 1 August 2011 they released their first album entitled 'Happy Heartbreak!'.
In 2011 Madeleine starred in her own comedy series, Super City
, directed by Taika Waititi
. She won Best Performance by an Actress at the 2011 AFTA awards for this role. She also won, with co-writer Thomas Sainsbury, Best Comedy Script at the 2011 SWANZ awards for Episode 3 of the series.
Madeleine was raised in the Onehunga
Onehunga
Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is eight kilometres south of the city centre, close to the volcanic cone of One Tree Hill, Maungakiekie....
suburb of Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
; and attended Onehunga High School
Onehunga High School
Onehunga High School is a state co-educational secondary school in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga, New Zealand.The school incorporates a business school, founded by Just Water International's creator Tony Falkenstein, which is sponsored by brewery company Lion Nathan and a construction school...
. She is of Irish and Fiji Indian heritage. Madeleine starred in the long running New Zealand soap Shortland Street
Shortland Street
Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...
from 1998–1999, and more recently in the comedy film Sione's Wedding
Sione's Wedding
Sione's Wedding , is a 2006 comedic film directed by Chris Graham and written by James Griffin and Oscar Kightley, and produced by South Pacific Pictures.- Plot :...
. She has since featured in various New Zealand television shows including Outrageous Fortune
Outrageous Fortune (TV series)
Outrageous Fortune was a New Zealand comedy/drama television series, which was created by James Griffin and Rachel Lang and was produced by South Pacific Pictures...
, The Jaquie Brown Diaries
The Jaquie Brown Diaries
The Jaquie Brown Diaries is a satirical New Zealand sitcom in which real-life television personality Jaquie Brown plays a fictionalised, over-ambitious, status-obsessed version of herself. The series was created by Gerard Johnstone, Jaquie Brown and Hayley Cunningham and premiered 25 July 2008 on...
and Seven Days
7 Days (New Zealand)
7 Days is a New Zealand comedy gameshow similar to the British program Have I Got News for You, hosted by Jeremy Corbett. Paul Ego and Dai Henwood usually appear on each episode, along with other comedians, who form teams and answer questions about news stories from the last week.-Show format:At...
.
She has also formed a pop band called "The Sami Sisters" together with two of her siblings, Anji and Priya Sami and on 1 August 2011 they released their first album entitled 'Happy Heartbreak!'.
In 2011 Madeleine starred in her own comedy series, Super City
Super City
The Super City toy is a construction set produced by Ideal Toys in 1967. It is similar to Lego, small plastic pieces which are assembled to create complex structures. However Super City is more oriented to buildings and allows more sophisticated constructions...
, directed by Taika Waititi
Taika Waititi
Taika Waititi , also known as Taika Cohen, is a New Zealand-born film director, writer, painter, comedian and actor named as one of Varietys "ten new directors to watch" in 2007....
. She won Best Performance by an Actress at the 2011 AFTA awards for this role. She also won, with co-writer Thomas Sainsbury, Best Comedy Script at the 2011 SWANZ awards for Episode 3 of the series.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Pio! | Various | TV series |
| 1998–1999 | Shortland Street Shortland Street Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in... |
Dr. Shivani Naran | TV series |
| 2000 | Ice As: Ice House | Various | |
| 2000 | Fish Skin Suit | Libby | TV movie |
| 2000 | Teach You a Lesson | Narrator | Short film |
| 2001 | Xena: Warrior Princess Xena: Warrior Princess Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001.... |
Tyro | Episode: "To Helicon and Back" |
| 2003 | Perfect Strangers Perfect Strangers (2003 film) Perfect Strangers is a 2003 New Zealand motion picture directed by Gaylene Preston and starring Sam Neill and Rachael Blake.-Cast:... |
Andrea | |
| 2004 | Talent | Chemist | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2004 | Tess | Episode: "Is Happiness an Accident?" | |
| 2006 | Sione's Wedding Sione's Wedding Sione's Wedding , is a 2006 comedic film directed by Chris Graham and written by James Griffin and Oscar Kightley, and produced by South Pacific Pictures.- Plot :... |
Tania | |
| 2006–2007 | Bro'Town Bro'Town bro'Town is a New Zealand Television animated series. The show used a comedy based format, targeted at a young adult audience.The series is set amongst New Zealand's fast growing Pacific Islander community, and focuses on a central cast of five young boys... |
Bianca / Additional Voices | 5 episodes |
| 2007 | Eagle vs Shark Eagle vs Shark Eagle vs Shark is a 2007 New Zealand romantic comedy film directed by Taika Waititi and financed by the New Zealand Film Commission. The screenplay was also written by Waititi, based on the character of Lily created by Loren Horsley.... |
Burger Girl Customer | |
| 2007 | Rude Awakenings Rude Awakenings Rude Awakenings was a New Zealand comedy/drama series that aired on TV ONE on Friday evenings. The pilot episode aired on February 9, 2007... |
Francesca Hoyle | TV series |
| 2007 | Outrageous Fortune Outrageous Fortune (TV series) Outrageous Fortune was a New Zealand comedy/drama television series, which was created by James Griffin and Rachel Lang and was produced by South Pacific Pictures... |
Linda | Episode: "No Noble Rite" |
| 2008–2009 | Serita Singh | 13 episodes | |
| 2009 | Buzzy Bee and Friends | Buzzy Bee (voice) | 14 episodes |
| 2009 | Diplomatic Immunity Diplomatic Immunity (New Zealand TV series) Diplomatic Immunity is a New Zealand comedy that follows the misadventures at the consulate of The Most Royal Kingdom of Feausi and a fallen New Zealand Foreign Affairs high-flier who has been sent in to straighten out the consulate staff... |
Agent Amy Bickler | Episode: "Spy in the House of Love" |
| 2009 | Under the Mountain | Constable Green | |
| 2009- Present | Seven Days 7 Days (New Zealand) 7 Days is a New Zealand comedy gameshow similar to the British program Have I Got News for You, hosted by Jeremy Corbett. Paul Ego and Dai Henwood usually appear on each episode, along with other comedians, who form teams and answer questions about news stories from the last week.-Show format:At... |
Herself | Recurring Guest Role |
| 2010 | Radiradirah Radiradirah 'Radiradirah' was a New Zealand comedy sketch show that originally aired from the 21 May to the 9 July 2010, with a total of 8 episodes.It featured several well known New Zealand comedians such as Rhys Darby, David Fane, Oscar Knightley and Madeleine Sami, as well as the voicing talents of... |
Various | 8 episodes |
| 2011 | Super City Super City (TV series) Super City is a New Zealand television comedy series starring Madeleine Sami and directed by Taika Waititi . It premiered on the TV3 network in 2011.... |
Pasha / Georgie / Azeem / Linda / Jo | TV series |
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Three People in a Cinema | Various | Silo Theatre |
| 1999 | Legacy | Ensemble | Aotearoa Young People's Theatre |
| 2000 | No. 2 | Various | Edinburg Festival |
| 2001 | No. 2 | Various | NZ Tour |
| 2001 | Bare | Various | Wellington Fringe Festival |
| 2002 | Various | Auckland Theatre Company | |
| 2005 | Bad Jelly the Witch | Bad Jelly | Silo Theatre |
| 2006 | Bad Jelly the Witch | Bad Jelly | Silo Theatre |
| 2007 | Some Girl(s) Some Girl(s) Some Girl is a play written by Neil LaBute.The play ran at the Lucille Lortel Theater in New York City, produced by MCC Theater and starred Eric McCormack, Fran Drescher, Judy Reyes, Brooke Smith, and Maura Tierney, all known primarily for their television work.The London cast included David... |
Tyler | Silo Theatre |
| 2008 | Rabbit | Emily | Silo Theatre |
| 2008 | Whero's New Net | Various | Massive Company |
| 2008 | Spelling Bee | Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre | Auckland Theatre Company |
| 2009 | No. 2 | Various | Silo Theatre |
| 2010 | Dance Troupe Supreme | Kellyanna | Maidment Theatre |