Roimata Samuels
| Roimata Ngatai | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Shortland Street character | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Shavaughn Ruakere | ||||||||
| Duration | 2011-2014 | ||||||||
| First appearance | 26 January 2011 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | 13 January 2014 | ||||||||
| Introduced by | Steven Zanoski | ||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||
| Other names | Roimata Samuels (married name) | ||||||||
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| Father | Henare Ngatai |
|---|---|
| Mother | Ruth Ngatai |
| Husband | TK Samuels (2011-13) |
| First cousins |
Jennifer Ngatai Anne Ngatai |
Roimata Ngatai (previously Samuels) is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was portrayed by Shavaughn Ruakere from January 2011 to January 2014. Initially introduced as a 3-month love interest for TK Samuels (Benjamin Mitchell), Ruakere's contract was extended to a regular role.
Initially pitched to be of European descent, under the suggestion of the show's Māori adviser, the character was rewritten to be a fluent Te Reo speaking Maori. Roimata arrived to the show in early 2011 as part of a double act with fellow new character, Jill Kingsbury (Natalie Medlock). Used as a focal point for the TK and Sarah Potts (Amanda Billing) love triangle, the 2011 Winter Season climaxed with TK's and Roimata aborted wedding. Roimata's following story lines saw her support her criminal father, become a victim of sexual assault, end her marriage after having an affair with Josh Gallagher (Chris Tempest), and ultimately die as the result of an explosion in the 2013 Christmas cliffhanger.
The character of Roimata was praised alongside Ruakere's acting. The 2012 sexual assault storyline was also singled out by many reviewers as not only a highlight of the show's 20th year, but also a true and emotionally stimulating storyline.
Following the temporary departure of the Sarah Potts (Amanda Billing) character in late 2010, producers decided to create a new love interest for TK Samuels (Benjamin Mitchell) so as to create a love triangle upon Sarah's ultimate return. Originally the character was set to be of European descent however Māori adviser, Ngamaru Raerino fought with writers until they wrote the character as a good looking Māori who could speak the native language fluently. The character was given a screen time of 6 months to play out the storyline before departing. Television presenter Shavaughn Ruakere landed the role and stated, "It's really exciting for me. I'm soaking it all up and loving it." She described joining Shortland Street as a step forward in the right direction for her career. The character was written alongside another new nurse, Jill Kingsbury (Natalie Medlock) and a double act was established between the two characters. Roimata made her debut on the episode airing, 26 January 2011 with the line, "Kia Ora, I'm from the bureau". As the characters 6-month duration came to an end, producers acknowledged their enjoyment of Ruakere's portrayal and the extent of story lines it opened up; they subsequently extended her contract to a regular role. In April 2013, producers offered Ruakere a 1-year renewal to her contract, to which she declined in favor of moving overseas to find work. She agreed to stay on the show for several months so that Roimata could get properly written off. The character was killed off in the 2013 Christmas cliffhanger. Ruakere was happy Roimata was killed off in such a dramatic way, stating, "Yup, all good'. Nothing like a big exit!"
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