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Luciane Buchanan Interview — Voices Of The Pacific

BuzzFeed: You portrayed Rose Larkin in The Night Agent, one of Netflix's most-watched shows of all time. How does it feel being one of the first Pacific Islander women — if not the very first — to star in a Netflix show? There's a big shift in your character from Season 1 to Season 2 as Rose struggles with the trauma and PTSD of everything she went through. What was it like tapping into her vulnerable side and highlighting mental health on the show? At the end of Season 2, Peter tells Rose to stay away — a heartbreaking moment for all the fans like me who want to see Peter and Rose together. Does that mean fans shouldn't expect to see you in Season 3? I was so happy to see Simone Kessell playing your aunt in Season 1. Casting a fellow Pacific Islander to play Rose's relative surprised me actually — that's still not the norm in Hollywood. While the industry is slowly but surely making progress, what do you hope to see in the coming years? Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue, which was the first professional short film both written and directed by Tongan women, was also your first script! Do you plan to continue writing? One of the Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue's major themes is being mixed: the cultural disconnect of not knowing your mother tongue and perhaps not feeling 'Tongan enough.' As an afakasi woman myself, that feeling is something I've experienced, too. How were you able to overcome this and grow confident in yourself? Or is this an ongoing journey for you? For Pacific Islanders, there are so many aspects of our cultures that we hold close to our hearts, from our foods to our dances to our tattoos. What's your favorite part of your culture? Do you have a favorite Tongan food? You also star in Chief of War, which comes out on Aug. 1 on Apple TV+. I can't wait to finally watch! What can you tell us about your character and storyline? Do you have any favorite behind-the-scenes memories with Jason Momoa? If you could work with any Pacific Islander, who would it be and why? What advice do you have for young Pacific Islander creatives? Finally, what does being Pacific Islander mean to you? Thank you for chatting with us, Luciane! Be sure to keep up with Luciane here. You can read more Voices of the Pacific interviews here.