FAMILY DRAMA SHAVAUGHN'S EMOTIONAL HOMECOMING

As the Kiwi actress returns to she reveals how her mum

- Kylie Bailey

When Woman's Day catches up with Shavaughn Ruakere, she's just returned home to Auckland from visiting her whānau in New Plymouth, where she also walked the red carpet for her new show Tangata Pai.

Not only was the Taranaki trip a chance to have precious “hang time” with her mum Anne, but it was also a thrill for the actress, 47, to have her loved ones experience the excitement of a premiere.

Shavaughn smiles, “During the evening, the first two episodes were screened and, at one point, Mum turned to say, ‘You've really matured as an actor.’ I feel like my age and life experience have all really played into this performance.”

Anne's reflection took Shavaughn - who is of Taranaki and Te Āti Awa descent - back to when she was a youngster doing a course in the Meisner technique, which teaches performers how to respond to the environment around them.