General |
Robbie Joseph Magasiva (born 21 May 1972) is a Samoan New Zealand actor who has starred in several films and as a member of the Naked Samoans comedy troupe.
Magasiva had his start on television during the 1990s, beginning with comedy. In 1999, he portrayed Mason Keeler in Jackson's Wharf. In 2001 he starred in his first major film, Stickmen, and joined the Naked Samoans. In 2002, he played Mauhúr in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. He returned to television in the show The Strip, continued his work with the Naked Samoans, and made a minor appearance in Power Rangers: Ninja Storm, also starring his brother Pua as the brother of Pua's character of Shane Clarke. In 2006, Magasiva co-starred in Sione's Wedding, a comedy film that achieved commercial success in New Zealand. In 2007 he co-starred in the horror film The Tattooist. He has also appeared on television and theatre, and was the co-presenter of New Zealand's Tagata Pasifika with famed athlete Beatrice Faumuina. Magasiva is also known for his role on Shortland Street as Dr. Maxwell Avia which he played from June 2009 to July 2012, and for his role as Will Jackson on the prison drama series Wentworth, an adaptation of the iconic prison drama Prisoner.
Robbie's career has gone from strength to strength, he would appear alongside his late brother Pua in long running NZ Medical Soap Shortland Street. Robbie would join the series filming in late 2012 and remained apart of the cast for its upcoming 8th and 9th season.
Robbie in Wentworth played warder and later Governor Will Jackson (Wentworth) alongside Jacquie Brennan, Katrina Milosevic and Kate Atkinson would be known as the "Wentworth Four" appearing in every season from episode 1 to filming end in series 9.
Magasiva after filming wrapped for Wentworth would return home to New Zealand to be with his family after almost a year away filming. In 2021 Robbie took on four different projects after returning to New Zealand, including Going Going, Under The Vines, Head High Season 2 and Spreadsheet.
Magasiva in late 2023 was announced as part of the cast for Madam and Magasiva in 2024 was announced and confirmed to appear in Fox Lifeguard drama Rescue: HI-Surf.
Personal Life[]
Magasiva, born in Wellington, New Zealand, was raised in a small community west of Apia, Samoa called Tanumapua. His family moved back to New Zealand permanently when he was 10 years old.
After leaving school, he tried his hand at theatre sports and acted in commercials while working as a receptionist at an advertising agency.
Robbie dated actress Natalie Medlock from 2011-22 and he would sadly lose his brother Pua in early 2019 and would get a tattoo in his honour.
Magasiva in an interview with MandateNZ said he almost quit acting altogether after filming Wentworth and said he almost became a firefighter.
Magasiva as of 2024 was working in the US after scoring a role on Rescue Hi Surf he met and began dating actress Kelly Mackey.