Taungaroa Emile: Soul
Taungaroa is well known in his home country of New Zealand and has gained international attention in two of New Zealand’s most successful films: as Boogie in Once Were Warriors and Willie in Whale Rider.
Of his character in Naming Number Two, Taungaroa explains: “Soul is the rascal of the family, he gets up to mischief – but it’s good mischief – he’s fun, an optimist.” Soul is willing to go to great lengths to get what he wants, though his methods are unorthodox and his fuse short. His big personality makes him popular among the diverse citizens of Mt. Roskill, the small town in which the film is set.
“The location of Mt Roskill was great – lots of different cultures, churches everywhere. I felt safe there. In Auckland there are many South Pacific Island cultures, so it’s not unusual to be from Tonga, Fiji, or to be a Cook Island Maori or a Tahitian and also to have a strong sense of being from here – we are all New Zealanders.”