John-Paul Foliaki
Most of the country watched him dig up $100,000 on Celebrity Treasure Island last year after a gruelling hunt, but artist JP Foliaki says this is just one of many proud moments from his rich and varied career so far. His starring role in Red, White & Brass in 2023 meant that he could bring his whole family to the premiere in Pōneke, and he recalls being “completely overwhelmed” in the cinema.
“It was a full-circle moment for my family to finally see their sacrifices and my aspirations come to fruition,” he says.
Family is everything for the New Zealand-born Tongan actor, musician, creative and advocate.
“My grandparents and parents worked extremely hard as migrants to educate themselves and ensure us the opportunities we’ve been afforded today,” he says. “This allowed me to experience firsthand the importance of an education and how it can not only enhance your quality of life but also serve your community.”
It’s a lesson he is now passing on to his young nieces and nephews: “they too can do what I’ve done and take it even further”.
Foliaki studied a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
“My time at university allowed me to meet like-minded individuals who dared to dream and dream big,” he says.
While his creative career now is vastly different to what he studied, he still learned many transferable skills.
“Directing and producing, for example, require you to be able to critically analyse a situation, problem solve, consider varying opinions and then make a decision on how a particular creative vision can be executed,” he says.
Those skills lead Foliaki into a range of creative and community endeavours. As well as acting for film, stage and television, he competed in the singing competition Popstars in 2021 and produced and self-funded his own original R&B and reggaeton music. He also worked with Le Va, a Pasifika mental health and well-being organization, using his platform to champion South Auckland excellence and self-belief.
“On the really hard days, when you feel like giving up or no one can see the vision, it is so important to believe in yourself,” he says.
That is not to say that Foliaki has never wavered on his own journey to becoming an artist in Aotearoa.
“Being in this line of work has its pros and cons. I see my peers checking off life milestones – marriage, children, a home – and you start to wonder if you’ve made the right choice,” he says. “Being an independent artist is hard and it gets lonely, but in each artist there is this desire to create and share your talents with the world.”
He says that is the driving force, along with being a role model for his community, that keeps him going.
“I’m just a Tongan boy from South Auckland that cares deeply for his culture, his family, friends and the gift of storytelling,” he says. “Hopefully I can serve my people and maybe even save the lives of those in my community, just like those that came before me.”
His next professional goal is to eventually release a full-length album, perform more in Aotearoa and overseas and finish writing his feature film. And with family always at the front of his mind, he’s also hoping to mentor the next generation of talented creatives in his whānau.
“I’d like to start looking at ways to support and develop the future superstars in my family,” he says. “There’s definitely a few.”