Madeleine Nalini Sami (born 1980) is a New Zealand actress, director, comedian, and musician. She started her acting career in theatre before moving to television, where she created, co-wrote, and starred in Super City. She co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the 2018 film The Breaker Upperers along with Jackie van Beek. Sami co-hosted The Great Kiwi Bake Off.
Early life and education Madeleine Nalini Sami is one of four children. Her parents are Christine Southee, who has Irish ancestry, and Naren Sami, a Fijian-Indian who has Telugu ancestry, who settled in New Zealand. Her parents separated when she was twelve.
She attended Onehunga High School.
Career
Sami rose to prominence starring in Toa Fraser's play Bare, directed by Michael Robinson, winning Best Actress at the 1999 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. She then was part of Fraser's next play, No. 2., which won Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
In 2011, Sami created, co-wrote alongside Tom Sainsbury, and starred in her own comedy series, Super City, which was directed by Taika Waititi. Sami played five different characters in the show and won Best Performance by an Actress at the 2011 Aotearoa Film & Television Awards. She later co-hosted The Great Kiwi Bake Off and starred in the television series Golden Boy and The Bad Seed. She made her TV directorial debut with an episode of the second season of Funny Girls, eventually directing eleven episodes of the series.
Sami is a part of The Sami Sisters, a musical group consisting of herself and her two sisters. They released an album called Happy Heartbreak in 2011.
She co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the 2018 film The Breaker Upperers, along with Jackie van Beek. The film received positive reviews and was a box office hit in New Zealand, becoming the best selling New Zealand film of 2018 and is one of the top 20 grossing New Zealand films ever. The pair are set to direct the Netflix film Hope, starring Aubrey Plaza. Sami also appeared in the 2019 film Come to Daddy, directed by Ant Timpson.
On 17 May 2021, Sami appeared on The Masked Singer NZ as the "Monarch (Butterfly)", getting eliminated in the fourth episode. The same year, she was on the panel show Patriot Brains.
Sami starred in the 2023 Australian television series Deadloch. On July 9, 2024, Deadloch was renewed for a second season, with Sami reprising the role of Eddie Redcliffe.
She was a voice actor in the Australian comedy sci-fi film Lesbian Space Princess, which premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2024.
Personal life In January 2015, Sami married Phillipa "Pip" Brown, more commonly known by her stage name Ladyhawke. Brown gave birth to their daughter in 2017. Sami and Brown announced the end of their relationship in 2023.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes2000Ice As: Ice HouseVarious2000Fish Skin SuitLibbyTV movie2000Teach You a LessonNarratorShort film2003Perfect StrangersAndrea2006Sione's WeddingTania2007Eagle vs SharkBurger Girl Customer2009Under the MountainConstable Green2012Sione's 2: Unfinished BusinessTania2014What We Do in the ShadowsMorana2015Slow WestMarimacho 2018The Breaker UpperersMelAlso writer & director2019Come to DaddyGladys2020Baby DoneHospital Midwife2025Lesbian Space Princess Queen AnneVoice actor
Television Year Title Role Notes1998Pio!Various1999Shortland StreetDr. Shivani 'Vani' Naran2000Fish Skin SuitLibby2001Xena: Warrior PrincessTyroEpisode: "To Helicon and Back"2004TalentChemist2004The Insiders Guide to HappinessTess2007Rude AwakeningsFrancesca Hoyle2007Outrageous FortuneLinda2006–2007Bro'TownAdditional Voices/Bianca5 episodes2009Diplomatic ImmunityAgent Amy Bickler2008–2009The Jaquie Brown DiariesSerita Singh13 episodes2009–2013Buzzy Bee and FriendsBuzzy Bee14 episodes2009–20247 DaysHerself21 episodes2010RadiradirahVarious20113 NewsSelf2011–2013Super CityPasha/Georgie/AzeemCreator/writer/executive director2013Top of the LakeZena2013Aroha BridgeMum/Aunty Winny/Angeline Hook2016All Talk with Anika MoaSelf2016–2018Funny GirlsDirector2014Flat3Madeline2018–2021The Great Kiwi Bake OffHost2019Get Krack!n Amy Bryan 1 episode2019The Bad SeedMarie Da Silva5 episodes2019Golden BoyClaire8 episodes2019What's Your Problem?Self1 episode2019–Have You Been Paying Attention?Guest2020, 2024Taskmaster NZSelf10 episodes (contestant)2 episodes (guest)2021The Masked Singer NZMonarch/Self2 episodes2023–present DeadlochEddie Redcliffe14 episodes2023–presentDouble ParkedNat9 episodes2023Our Flag Means DeathArchie8 episodes
Theatre Year Title Role Theatre1998Three People in a CinemaVariousSilo Theatre1999LegacyEnsembleAotearoa Young People's Theatre2000No. 2VariousEdinburgh Festival2001NZ Tour2001BareVariousWellington Fringe Festival2002VariousAuckland Theatre Company2005- 2006Bad Jelly the WitchBad JellySilo Theatre2007Some Girl(s)TylerSilo Theatre2008RabbitEmilySilo Theatre2008Whero's New NetVariousMassive Company2008The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeLogainne SchwartzandgrubenierreAuckland Theatre Company2009No. 2VariousSilo Theatre2010Dance Troupe SupremeKellyannaMaidment Theatre2014Jesus Christ SuperstarKing HerodAuckland Theatre Company
References
External links
NZ on Screen profile Auckland Actors profile TV3 Super City web page