Rachel House

“I really love the work that I do, and I feel like you have to go that extra mile to do it because it is a responsibility. Telling stories is a responsibility.”

“Diversity is where it's at for me. I think we need more and that could be all kinds of different cultures, big conversations.”

“I just haven't had that level of ambition in terms of being a lead in a film or a TV series because I'm really content.”

“The Brits make the best murder mysteries - I mean, did you see 'Broadchurch'? Wasn't it amazing? I love the mysteries and trying to put it all together.”

“'Whale Rider' was quite an extraordinary shoot. We were in that community on the east coast and so much of what you see in that film was very present.”

“It still surprises me when I get cast in something. I'm not your, you know, I'm... I remember thinking really early on that you have to look a particular way and I'm quite aware of my look, so I always thought I wouldn't get a lot of screen work.”

“Taika grabbed me and went, 'Come and meet these guys'. He knocked on this really massive campervan and then the door opened and there's Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo peering down, then giving me high-fives and hugs. I was like, 'Oh my god.'”

“With 'Soul' I was just here in Aotearoa, New Zealand the whole time so I never got to go to the studios.”

“When I went on to the team on 'Korero Mai,' I realized how much I didn't know and how much I wanted to know in terms of sound, lighting and editing which is a process you don't go through in fast turnaround TV.”

“I didn't want to direct any more theatre because I wanted to try something different, to move into another realm.”

“It's so unfortunate that people have this need to join gangs.”

“It's so nice to be nominated for something by your culture, it's always very cool.”

“I felt that I had done years and years of theatre, and it had been a wonderful journey where I'd learned a lot, but I wasn't as passionate about it as I once was.”

“Having worked with so many directors, I liked the look of what they were doing. It seemed to be a lot more creatively satisfying, putting all the parts together, joining the puzzle together, creating the tone of a piece.”

“I got this secretive, very secretive email from my agent saying, 'You have an audition for Marvel, no one's letting us know what the name of the film is, but are you available on this day? That's all we know.' And I went, 'OK, well, I think it will probably be 'Thor,' because Taika's got it.'”

“I have always wanted to direct.”

“With all the stories that we have, it's still rare that we get to see what goes on in the minds of our children when they're in their own world.”

“Seeing ourselves reflected in stories gives people the courage to keep doing what they are doing or make a change.”

“Like all good stories, there are universal things that 'Moana' has - a young, resilient, strong woman goes against the wishes of her people and sets out on her own - that's a pretty universal bravery.”

“Mum got a QSM (Queen's Service Medal) for her community work in mental health. She was a psychiatric social worker, so she'd travel all around the north visiting people back in the day.”