Pictures: Nicola Edmonds
As an actress, Trae Te Wiki is used to juggling various roles, but being pregnant twice in one year was an unexpected challenge. Not only was the 31-year-old expecting in real life, but her character Tippy on the international hit TV show Under The Vines was also hapū!
It helped that Trae’s partner, fellow actor Sepelini Mua’au, played her on-screen partner in the third season of the comedy-drama, which is set on a Central Otago vineyard and stars Rebecca Gibney.
In January, Trae gave birth to the couple’s daughter, who goes by the name “Bubba”. Cuddling her little girl, the Wellington actress says, “We both wanted lots of children and we’ve been so blessed.”
Trae admits it was “slightly surreal” playing a pregnant woman to a man she was actually having a child with.
“I’m just so thankful that the show’s producers and writers were able to incorporate my real-life pregnancy into the script,” she says.
Tippy is the first TV role for the seasoned theatre actress. She has played the vivacious winemaker in all three series of the popular TVNZ show.
“Tippy is really strong and can be a bit standoffish, but falling pregnant was a huge shift for her. It was for me too!” she laughs.
Trae found out she was pregnant the same week that Kiwi screen darling Rebecca announced that the third series would the go ahead.
She recalls, “She told me the filming dates and I thought, ‘I’m going to be heavily pregnant during filming!’ Rebecca was actually one of the first people outside of our family and friends to know about my pregnancy, but she was great. She told us they would write my pregnancy into the series.”
When Sepelini, 31, heard about auditions for his partner’s on-screen boyfriend, he knew he had to apply.
He tells, “When I did my first audition tape, Trae read the part of Tippy. It felt pretty natural, so I was hoping I’d get the role.
“When they told me I got the job, I felt stoked. It was such a privilege and a luxury to play Trae’s on-screen partner, and to be on set with her for the 10-week shoot.”
It also allowed Sepelini, who’s well-known in theatre circles, his first taste of the world of television acting.
“Screen work is relatively new for me. But, to be on set every day watching Trae shoot was exciting and so much fun. I learnt a lot and I’m so proud of Trae. It was super-special and emotional seeing her pregnant on screen.”
It also allowed the couple, who met while studying drama at Victoria University, to rehearse together and give each other feedback.
Sepelini says, “When you run lines with a colleague or friend, there’s always a filter, but when you do it with your partner, you can be more honest.”
Fortunately, Trae had a dream pregnancy and despite long hours on set, she never felt tired or overwhelmed.
The actress grins, “I kept expecting to have morning sickness or run into some kind of complications. However, I was really lucky, plus the crew were amazing.
“They really wrapped their support around me and were always asking if I needed anything, making sure I was sitting down and that the days weren’t too gruelling. They really just wanted to make it as easy for me as posible, which I’m eternally grateful for.”
Because of the duration of the shoot, Trae found a midwife near the set. She signed up for antenatal classes that fit around filming obligations.
“We had my antenatal group in Wellington, but it was fun meeting other mothers-to-be down south. It turned out we were renting the house owned by the parents of the couple next to us at class!”
After eight months off work, the new mother is about to start a new on-screen project.
“I’m not allowed to talk about it, but it will mean being out of Wellington a bit. So, we’re currently trying to figure out how to manage that with the baby,” Trae explains. “Both our families help out a lot. We live with my younger sister, who is really supportive, so we’ll make it work.”
Making them more flexible is the fact Sepelini’s temporarily put his acting career on hold while he finishes his PhD in theatre studies.
He tells, “I had a break while we were shooting. I’ve got about six or seven months of my studies to go. I’m enjoying it but am also looking foward to getting back to acting and writing.
“Trae is hoping there will be another series of Under The Vines. I’m hoping that they’ll have me back as her on-screen partner!”
The final episode of Under The Vines screens 8.30pm Sunday on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+.
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