“My big thing is if people wanna learn how to do what I do you gotta come to my hood, you gotta come to Otara and walk through those doors and come be with culture because we have so much culture” – Actor Beulah Koale.
He has graced both international and local television screens, theater arenas and more.
Yet, for actor Beulah Koale, the Otara Music and Arts Centre will always be his main stage.
“It was maybe 2006 or 2007. I first walked through here and it was with Massive Theatre Company, and they were doing a free workshop here. Me and the boys from Tangaroa College, we’d come down just to hang out,” Beulah says.
“I caught the bug that day when I was 15 and it was right at the beginning of my journey.”
That same inspiration that he found for his craft all those years ago, he now sets out to spark within the next generation of talent in the heart of South Auckland.
The 34-year-old returned to where it all started holding his Act it Straight acting classes for those wanting to revive their love for the craft or those just willing to give it a crack.
Understanding how brutal the industry is, Beulah says that his intention is to create opportunities that he was starved of when he began his journey.
“When I looked at the scope of the industry I realised there were not a lot of Southside actors in the industry and that made me angry” he says.
“And I use anger a lot of times as my fuel and now I am gonna make a change for that and make sure that there are a lot of Southsiders here.”
That anger became something he honed during his career, showing the world that, sometimes, all it takes is some natural Southside flair to get the job done.
“My big thing is, if people wanna learn how to do what I do, you gotta come to my hood, you gotta come to Otara and walk through those doors and come be with culture because we have so much culture,” he says.
“So I can’t wait for the people in my class to show the world that you can use the pain in your life and the hardship or the chip on your shoulder to make it in this industry.”
Otara local Geoffrey Tauilo Vaotuua took up the classes as he says he “missed the boat” in pursuing his love of acting.
The last time he had been on stage was at high school. And now, having programmes like Act It Straight, has given him another chance to explore where he can go.
“The bro’s real local ay. If you were in TC (Tangaroa College) then you would know Beulah. So seeing him come and take up the classes and then seeing his formulas and how he brings himself… it makes it a lot more comfortable,” Geoffrey says
“This is our backyard, so it’s a lot easier to get along with him because you are getting taught by someone who is from your backyard.”
For Beulah, hearing stories like Geoffrey’s are a reminder of why he strives to inspire and uplift his Pacific community, especially in Otara and South Auckland.
And as he progresses through the industry, he hopes initiatives and sessions like Act it Straight can help be the spark for the next big South Auckland movie star.
“In our industry there are a lot of gatekeepers, I am not a gatekeeper. I’ve been put on this earth to make sure that I push my job as far as I can so that when that next generation comes it’s easier for them.”
