Shortland Street role excites star

• Author: Grace Odlum
• Published date: 25 January 2023
• Publication title: Kapiti News

Puna plays Gia Te Atakura (previously Sidney Dutoit) in the long-running television show

The 23-year-old transgender actress, who attended Raumati South School and Kāpiti College, has lived in Auckland since the beginning of 2021.

Puna has always been passionate about film and as a child she would steal her parents’ camera and film her friends.

“They would either die or be a vampire or some other mythical creature.”

In college the passion continued, and she managed to get funding from competitions and started to make films with money.

“I have always loved the idea of creating a different world where you can be anything or do anything.”

She studied at Toi Whakaari drama school for three years and went on to act in films such as Whina, and television shows like Vegas and Beyond the Veil.

She released her film Tūī in 2021 that she directed, produced, and acted in.

Puna came out eight years ago at 15, when she was outed by a friend, who posted it online.

Looking back on it now, she said it was a blessing in disguise.

Her character is returning to Shortland Street, from back in 2017, so older fans of the soap will...