As we exclusively unveil this year’s iconic Shortland Street cast photo, our favourite stars share some behind-the-scenes drama from the shoot and reveal some clues to next year’s storylines.
Ben Barrington (Drew)
Letting us in on a little secret, the actor, 46, explains, “All of us do our photos separately, alone or in pairs, then the images are composited together to make one photo of the entire cast. The background is added afterwards, so there’s always some hot anticipation around how the finished product will look. I look forward to seeing it, although as far as Ria [Vandervis] and I are concerned, the shots always go pretty smoothly – we’re old hats at this point and there were no hiccups this year!”
Theo Dāvid (Viliami)
Being in Shortland Street’s 2022 cast photo was a “bucket-list moment” for the actor, 27, who adds, “I made it a wee goal of mine to stick around long enough to be a part of it. My place in Ferndale only felt cemented when I saw myself in that first photo.” But Theo prefers the “moody” theme of this year’s shoot. “This cast picture reflects our characters’ recent storylines, most of which were pretty dark. The trickiest part was trying to convey that instead of smiling for the camera!”
Marianne Infante (Madonna)
The actress, 28, was “stoked” to be a part of Shorty’s glam 30th anniversary cast photo in 2022, but she says this year’s picture is “super-special”. Marianne explains, “I love this one because I get to be in a beautiful Filipiniana-inspired wedding dress celebrating my character’s journey in Shortland Street. It’s a milestone – another year of growth for Madonna and who she represents, and another year of growth for me as an actor.” The only downside was that she couldn’t immediately send the snaps to show off to her proud mum!
Sally Martin (Nicole)
Despite being in an estimated eight cast photos, the Shorty veteran, 38, confesses, “I really struggle with still photo shoots! I’m no model. I need to be in a character – to move, to have a script and to be directed. Actors can be very hard to photograph.” She’s also not a huge fan of getting glammed up, adding, “I’m actually most comfortable in Nicole’s nurse scrubs.” But she enjoyed shooting with her on-screen love interest Jess Sayer. “My faux wifey and dear friend always makes me feel calmer.”
Peter Burman (Sage)
This is Peter’s first-ever Shortland Street cast photo. “I feel very lucky to be a part of it,” says the 24-year-old newcomer. “For me, it not only signifies a television show, but it also represents a community of talented individuals working together to create something unique. I haven’t been working on the show long, so to jump in on the photo feels very special.”
From the newcomers to the Streetwise, they’re picture-perfect.
Courtenay Louise (Monique)
The brunette beauty, 30, missed last year’s photo “because I was super-busy losing my mind and trying to dig up $100,000” on Celebrity Treasure Island. She says, “It’s an honour to get glammed up and finally be in one. These photos are so iconic. They hang all over the walls of South Pacific Pictures, where we film. I love walking the hallways and just looking at all the different cast members from the years. No matter how many times I look at them, I always find something new!”
Carlos Muller (Logan)
A relative newcomer, Carlos was “grateful” to be paired up with his co-star Courtenay for the photo shoot. “She’s always full of energy and a good time to be around,” he explains. “I’m no model, for sure, but my experience was fun and I enjoyed it. I’m just grateful to be a part of it.” The 21-year-old took inspiration from actress Jess Sayer, who he says “absolutely killed it” in last year’s shoot.
Bella Kalolo (Selina)
Having blown into Ferndale like a hurricane earlier this year, the singer/actress, 41, says she’s “super-proud” to be featured in one of Shorty’s “iconic” cast photos. “I’m a part of history, for sure,” she grins. Her favourite part of the process was posing with co-star Michael Galvin. “We even managed to squeeze in an impromptu duet of We Built This City!” The trickiest part? “Finding a park for the shoot!”
Michael Galvin (Chris)
The Shorty veteran estimates he’s been in about 25 of the soap’s annual cast photos. “Have I cracked the quarter-tonne?” he quips. But every year is different, adds Michael, 56. “I don’t really enjoy photo shoots, but this one went very well – quick and painless. The best part was doing it with Bella, who is hilarious. The trickiest part was trying to push my chin forward and down at the same time while looking like a serious person.”
Ngahuia Piripi (Esther)
Having started on the soap back in 2015, this wasn’t Ngahuia’s first rodeo, but she admits shooting 2023’s cast photo was “fun”, even if she was “picky” with how she looked in the final picture. The hardest part? “Finding a pose that worked – I’m an actor, not a model and even all the cast photos I’ve done still haven’t made me a pro!” The star, 32, adds, “I love that this year’s picture gives our eagle-eyed viewers some Shorty storyline clues.”
