Anapela Polataivao

Polataivao was born in Samoa and has heritage from Vailoa, Vaiusu, Fagae'e and Safune. She grew up in South Auckland.

Polataivao began acting at the age of eight. She was part of the Maidment Youth Theatre at the University of Auckland and graduated from the New Zealand drama school Toi Whakaari with a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting) in 2000.

In 2002, she formed the theatre group Kila Kokonut Krew with Vela Manusaute. Together they created the musical The Factory which became a web series in 2014. The show toured throughout Australia and had a five-week run at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

With Goretti Chadwick Polataivao created the comedy duo Pani and Pani. They also created and present the Māori Television show, Game of Bros.

Polataivao worked as acting tutor at PIPA (Pacific Institute of Performing Arts) until PIPA closed at the end of 2017 when the BEST Pacific Institute of Education went into liquidation.

A theatre play directed by Polataivao, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt by Tusiata Avia was re-worked in 2016 from a solo to an ensemble cast creating an award-winning production that went on to be presented at the New Zealand Festival in 2018, a national New Zealand tour in 2019 and at the SoHo Playhouse in New York off-Broadway in January 2020.

In 2024, she starred in Tinā as a dissatisfied substitute teacher, recently bereaved after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, who begins working at an elite private school and starts a student choir.