Imagine an entire theater of 800 people erupting in laughter at the exact same moment—it’s nothing short of a sacred experience. But here’s where it gets intriguing: Stephen Lovatt, the acclaimed actor recently crowned Best Actor in a Series at the New Zealand Screen Awards, never actually had a burning passion for acting when he first stepped into the world of drama. Despite his 40-year career spanning iconic roles in Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules, Neighbours, and New Zealand classics like Bruce Mason’s The End of the Golden Weather, Lovatt admits his journey began almost by accident.
In a candid interview with RNZ’s Summer Weekends, Lovatt revealed that his drama school audition in the 1980s was more of a leap into the unknown than a pursuit of a lifelong dream. ‘I wasn’t the one on fire with it,’ he confessed. His school’s idea of drama? ‘The first 15 students dressing up as women and singing Paint Your Wagon.’ Hardly inspiring, right? Yet, his audition—described as ‘slightly crazed’—left a lasting impression. He chose a modern piece from Joe Orton’s Entertaining Mr Sloane and, for his classic selection, performed a psalm made famous by Boney M: By the Rivers of Babylon. But this is the part most people miss: The poem ends with a chilling, almost biblical vengeance, a detail Lovatt delivered with raw intensity.
It was during this audition that drama educator Rona Bailey asked him a question that changed everything: ‘Why do you want to come to drama school?’ Lovatt’s honest answer? ‘I’ve experienced silence on stage, and it’s always been accidental. I want to know how to do it on purpose.’ That moment, he says, was the spark that ignited and sustained his career.
For Lovatt, acting isn’t just about delivering lines—it’s about communion. Whether it’s a shared moment of laughter or a collective silence, it’s about connecting with humanity on a deeper level. ‘An 800-seater audience bursting into laughter at the same moment is a kind of sacred experience,’ he reflects. And this principle, he argues, applies even in the fast-paced world of television. Think about it: viewers tuning in at 7 p.m. (or streaming later) are still participating in a ritual, a shared experience that transcends time and space.
But here’s the controversial part: In an era dominated by streaming, does the traditional ‘ceremony’ of watching TV still hold the same power? Lovatt thinks so. ‘People want to be entertained—with laughter, with observation, with amazement,’ he says. Yet, as someone who’s navigated the precarious life of an actor for four decades, he’s no stranger to uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, pushed him to the brink. ‘I was getting really dark and lonely,’ he admits. In a surprising turn, he turned to Uber driving for seven months, which became an unexpectedly uplifting experience. ‘I met all these amazing people,’ he recalls. ‘It just lifted me up.’
Lovatt’s return to the stage last year in two one-man shows—The End of the Golden Weather and Not Christmas, but Guy Fawkes—felt like ‘closing a circle.’ For two and a half weeks, he performed six nights a week, delivering his craft with a freedom and ease honed over 40 years. ‘None of it was accidental,’ he says. ‘It was the result of decades of work, and that was really pleasing.’
Now, here’s the question for you: In a world where streaming dominates, do rituals like communal TV viewing still hold meaning? And what does it take to turn an accidental passion into a lifelong craft? Share your thoughts below—let’s spark a conversation!
