Mia Blake: Charlene
Says Ms. Blake of her character, “Charlene is the second eldest cousin, and she looks after Nanna. She’s a young mother and has had to grow up fast and put her own dreams on hold. Cooking is her dream world.” Indeed, Charlene is responsible for the fantastic array of food at the feast. She lives with Nanna Maria and knows her better than anybody else; while she resents the tremendous work necessary to engineer the feast, she also understands its symbolic importance for Nanna Maria.
“The first time I read Naming Number Two I loved it, the second time I REALLY loved it and the third time I was in tears. Toa’s characters are so recognizable. Their ethnicity is irrelevant because they could be Italian, Greek or, as my family is, Tongan. The story is so rich in layers you rediscover it again and again.”
Ms. Blake won a New Zealand Screen Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Charlene. She has also appeared in New Zealand features Fracture and Hopeless and the United States production Without a Paddle, and can be seen later this year in Australia and New Zealand in the film The Tattooist.