Meeuws channels rugby aggro for TV drama

Otago Daily Times

3 days ago

Kees Meeuws is usually a pretty placid, laid-back kind of guy.
But lately, the Dunedin real estate agent and former All Black has been wild - really wild.
He and fellow former All Blacks Eric Rush, Frank Bunce, Piri Weepu, Troy Flavell, Pita Alatini, Liam Messam and Rene Ranger, and former Maori All Black Hoani Matenga, played Hawaiian warriors in the first episode of a new AppleTV+ television series Chief of War , starring Jason Momoa.
The historical drama series, created by Thomas Pa'a Sibbett and Jason Momoa, is based on true events at the end of the 18th century when the four major kingdoms of the Hawaiian Islands were in a state of war.
It tells the story of the bloody campaign to unite the warring islands in order to save them from the threat of colonisation.
Mr Meeuws said the show was pretty gruesome and bloodthirsty.
"You can kind of compare it to a Game of Thrones sort of feel ... it's pretty epic.
"While gruesome, it's quite realistic of the times.
"Life's too short to be an angry guy, and I find that many more doors open by being an honest and just a friendly, approachable guy.
"But we were meant to be warriors - the top warriors, you know.
"So I did have to tap into some of the aggression I used on field during my rugby career, for the part."
Mr Meeuws said it was an awesome experience, and he revelled in watching some of New Zealand's "acting royalty" at work, with Temuera Morrison, TK Tuhaka and Cliff Curtis on set, alongside Jason Momoa.
"Just rubbing shoulders with another brother who's doing well in his particular field, it was fantastic.
"We spent the time learning the warrior moves and also being on set and watching how an epic like that is filmed.
"It was great to watch people like Temuera Morrison in action. He's royalty when it comes to acting - it was inspirational."
Mr Meeuws said the rugby players were called up for the television series because Momoa was an avid fan of the All Blacks, and he wanted to include them in it.
The first of the nine episodes of the series was released last Wednesday in Auckland.
After getting a taste of Hollywood, Mr Meeuws said he had no ambition to become the next sports star to move into acting, like Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, Jason Statham, Dave Bautista or Chuck Norris.
"I'm a real estate agent first and foremost, mate.
"But if opportunities came up and I could do cameos, yeah, as long as I don't have to do it full-time, that'd be OK."
[e-mail]