Tofiga Fepulea'i
Tofiga Fepulea'i (left)
Born
Tofiga Fepulea'i

(1974-02-05) February 5, 1974
Wellington, New Zealand
EducationRongotai College
Occupation(s)Actor, Comedian

Tofiga Fepulea'i (born February 5, 1974) is a New Zealand-based actor and comedian of Samoan descent best known as a member of the stand-up comedy duo Laughing Samoans.

Biography

Fepulea'i was born and grew up in Wellington, New Zealand.[1] His mother is Fuamago Malae Malagamaali'i Fepulea'i from Papa Sataua, Falealupo, Sagone and Fasito'outa and his father is Tu'ua Semurana Fepulea'i from Fusi Safotulafai and Sale'aula, Savai’i.[2]

He was educated at Rongotai College.

Fepulea'i's first stand-up comedy show was called Laughing with Samoans. First performed at the New Zealand Fringe Festival in Wellington in 2003 it changed name and became a duo performed with Eteuati Ete called the Laughing Samoans. Fepulea'i and Ete have toured this show around New Zealand, places in the Pacific, Australia and North America.[3] Title of their shows include Laughing with Samoans (2003), A Small Samoan Wedding (2005), Off Work (2007), and Choka Block (2011) with DVD's produced too.[3] In 2010 they made a television series The Laughing Samoans at Large.[3] The Laughing Samoans disbanded in 2016.

Among the characters Fepulea'i and Ete perform in the Laughing Samoans are two women, Aunty Tala and her niece, Fai.[3] Scholar Sarina Pearson says of these characters, "Whether Fepulea‘i and Ete are enacting a relatively straightforward parody of women or performing yet another layer of gender inversion by parodying fa‘afafine is ambiguous."[3]

In April 2017 Fepulea'i premiered his first solo show called I Gan't Belive It in Auckland, with presentations in Wellington and Samoa.[2]

The first acting role for Fepulea'i in a feature film was in 2020 in the film Take Home Pay.[4]

In 2021 his show Sorry bout it was part of the New Zealand Comedy Festival national tour and features James Nokise as the opening act.[5][6][4]

Fepulea'i was a youth worker for 12 years and he has a company 3Sons that hold school holiday programmes for Pasifika boys called o a’u lea (this is me) about wellbeing and identity.[4]

Alongside Inangaro Vakaafi, Fepulea'i has been co-hosting a mid-morning radio show called Island Time on Radio 531pi (Pacific Media).[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Tofiga • International Samoan Comedy Superstar". Tofiga. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Tofiga begins afresh". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Pearson, Sarina (2014). "Televisual Transgender: Hybridizing the Mainstream in Pasifika New Zealand". Gender on the edge : transgender, gay, and other Pacific islanders. Niko Besnier, Kalissa Alexeyeff. Honolulu. ISBN 978-0-8248-4019-8. OCLC 875894847.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. 1 2 3 Fuatai, Teuila (20 October 2020). "Tofiga isn't sorry about it". The Spinoff. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  5. ↑ Sarah (23 October 2020), Tofiga Fepulea'i celebrates first NZ Comedy Festival inclusion with national tour, retrieved 30 August 2022
  6. ↑ Tualaulelei, Teuila (9 May 2021). "Tofiga Fepulea'i SORRY BOUT IT - Irrepressible talent, incorrigible naughtiness". TheatreView. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Radio 531PI announces new show — thecoconet.tv - The world's largest hub of Pacific Island content.uu". thecoconet.tv. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
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