New Zealand-born actor KJ Apa said his first role, on Shortland Street at age 16, gave him the technical training he needed to become who he is.
In an interview with actress Demi Moore, KJ Apa blew up “New Zealand high poppy syndrome” and said he didn’t want to stay in the country.
“In New Zealand, it’s hard to be yourself if you’re not confident enough,” he said, during a chat with Demi Moore that was published in Interview Magazine.
“I was 16 years old when I started making a soap called Shortland Street. I don’t know what I was doing, but I became a machine for learning dialogue, which is useful because they record 25 scenes a day. It gives me the technical training I need. I feel like You, because I don’t really want to live there, “he told Moore.
“I don’t want to live in New Zealand, totally quit. There is this thing in New Zealand called high poppy syndrome, where if you stand out, if you want to do something too big or you dress weird, people will give you a ***. and trying to cut you off. I remember going to LA for the first time and saying, ‘Dammit. This is what it’s like to be in a place where you can dress the way you want. Nobody cares if you’re gay or straight’, “the actor added.
After first appearing on camera on Shortland Street, KJ Apa landed his role in Riverdale when he was 18 years old.
“I barely remember who the man was. I was so naive. I haven’t even had a drink yet,” he said of the time.
Regardless of the problem with the way she says New Zealand views and reacts to successful people, the act says that, deep down, it will always be her home.
“Deep down, my home is in New Zealand. But when people ask me indifferently [where I’m from], I usually say LA. That’s my refuge now. My resting place, “he told Demi Moore.
In the interview, the Proposal Indecent actress asked KJ What do people really know about him, if they know him well.
“You will know that I support every major decision I make in my life,” he said.
KJ Apa and Demi Moore co-star in “Songbird”, directed by Michael Bay, which was released last October.