Nancy Brunning was a New Zealand actress, director, and writer who won awards in film and television and made a major contribution to the growth of Maori in the arts.
17 Facts About Nancy Brunning
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Nancy Brunning was the acting coach for the Oscar-nominated short film Two Cars, One Night directed by Taika Waititi.
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Nancy Brunning attended Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School from 1990, graduating in 1991 with a Diploma in Acting.
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Nancy Brunning lived in Wellington for most of her life.
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Nancy Brunning became one of the most well known faces on New Zealand television in the role of Jaki Manu in the soap Shortland Street and other programmes.
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Nancy Brunning appeared on stage in major productions for the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts, the biggest arts event in the country, in productions such as Hide 'n' Seek and Waiora and Blue Smoke.
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Nancy Brunning played the role of Belle in the UK-NZ co-production of Beauty and the Beast.
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Nancy Brunning collaborated with Grace-Smith on a Taki Rua Theatre production in 1996 called Flat out Brown; directed Maori language play Te Ohaki a Nihe written by Selwyn Muru and devised and directed with Grace-Smith again on a touring show called Waitapu, in 1996.
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Nancy Brunning directed Women Far Walking written by Maori writer Witi Ihimaera.
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Nancy Brunning was assistant director with Nathaniel Lees on Awhi Tapu by Albert Belz for the Auckland Festival.
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Nancy Brunning was assistant director for the play The Songmaker's Chair written by Albert Wendt and directed by Nathaniel Lees.
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Nancy Brunning directed the short film Journey to Ihipa which screened at the New Zealand International Film Festivals and internationally, including the Vladivostok Film Festival and in New York.
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Nancy Brunning wrote and directed this play as a tribute to the women characters in the novels of Witi Ihimaera.
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Nancy Brunning died on 16 November 2019 at age 48, nine years after being diagnosed with cancer.
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Nancy Brunning posthumously won the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award the following day.
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Nancy Brunning's passion was to bring unheard stories to the light.
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Nancy Brunning was the person that bound our whanau together.