Shane Cortese

{{short description|New Zealand actor and singer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Shane Cortese | image = Shane Cortese on The Cafe.jpg | caption = Cortese in 2017 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1968|8|13}} | birth_place = Wellington, New Zealand | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | occupation = Actor | alma_mater = Royal Central School of Speech and Drama | years_active = | spouse = {{marriage|Nerida Cortese|2009|2019|end=divorce}} | children = 3 | website = }}

'''Shane Cortese''' (born 13 August 1968) is a New Zealand actor and singer. He is perhaps best known for his role of Mac on Nothing Trivial, Loki on the Almighty Johnsons and Hayden Peters on the hit show ''Outrageous Fortune''. He was also a runner-up on Season 1 of NZ ''Dancing with the Stars'' in 2005.

==Career== Cortese started his professional career as a travel agent in Palmerston North.<ref name=goodmorning>{{cite episode|series=Good Morning|date=13 September 2012|station=TV One|network=Television New Zealand}}</ref> He got involved in the amateur drama society and soon found a passion in acting. He participated in numerous plays before moving to London in 1993 to further his newfound career.<ref name=goodmorning/><ref name=interviews>{{cite web|title=Michele Hewitson interview: Shane Cortese|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/personalities/news/article.cfm?c_id=72&objectid=10757440|work=The New Zealand Herald|publisher=APN News & Media|date=8 October 2011|author=Hewitson, Michelle}}</ref> Cortese trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. After graduating from the Musical Theatre Course in 1993, he spent 10 years touring the UK in musicals, performing several times on London's prestigious West End. His performances won critical acclaim from UK reviewers.

Whilst visiting New Zealand in 2000, Cortese auditioned for the popular soap opera ''Shortland Street'' for the role of Geoff Greenlaw.<ref name=badguy>{{cite web|work=NZonscreen |title=Shane Cortese on being a badguy |date=March 2011|publisher=NZ On Air|author=Coleman, James|url=http://screentalk.nzonscreen.com/interviews/shane-cortese}}</ref> He did not receive the part and returned to England to star in the West End. He scored a major part in a production but was contacted by ''Shortland Street'' producers who announced their intention to write a character specifically for him who was to play a major part in the serial.<ref name=badguy/> Cortese relished the opportunity and returned to New Zealand to take the part, despite being threatened by those involved in the West End play that he would never work again.<ref name=badguy/> Cortese made his ''Shortland Street'' debut in early 2003 as the character of Dominic Thompson. The character stayed on screen for just under 2 years, before dying in one of the show's most iconic and well-received storylines.<ref name=badguy/>

On 29 April 2005, he starred on the New Zealand version of ''Dancing with the Stars''. Partnered with dancer Nerida Lister, he was named runner-up on 20 June 2005. He scored a guest starring role in fantasy series ''Maddigan's Quest'' and played the lead character, "John" opposite British actress Zöe Lucker on stage in ''Then Comes Love''. In late 2005, after appearing on ''Dancing with the Stars'' he hosted TV3's ''So You Think You Can Dance''. In 2006 he returned to his bad boy ways, playing Hayden Peters on Rachel Lang and James Griffin's ''Outrageous Fortune''.<ref name=interviews/> Cortese was pleased to have scored the title role in ''Burying Brian'', only to discover his character was to be killed off in the first episode.<ref name=badguy/>

Cortese is also the patron for ACTA (Auckland City Theatre Academy), a youth theatre company training students aged 5–18 in musical theatre. He appeared with the students in The North Shore Times in an article describing his involvement with the school and its students. In 2011 Cortese joined the cast of comedy-drama ''Nothing Trivial'' as the character of Mac.<ref name=new>{{cite web |title=Nothing Trivial: New Drama from South Pacific Pictures |url=http://www.throng.co.nz/nothing-trivial/nothing-trivial-new-drama-south-pacific-pictures |work=Throng |date=13 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403005311/http://www.throng.co.nz/nothing-trivial/nothing-trivial-new-drama-south-pacific-pictures |archive-date=3 April 2011}}</ref> He was nominated in the prestigious Monte-Carlo Television Festival for "Best Actor" for his role.<ref name=monte>{{cite web|title=Kiwis in world TV awards|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/6716855/Kiwis-in-world-TV-awards|publisher=Stuff|author=Jones, Bridget|date=10 April 2012}}</ref> Cortese also landed the role of Loki in another of Griffin's creations, ''The Almighty Johnsons'', a role he maintained for the show's three season run.<ref name=doublelife>{{cite web|title=Double life of Shane Cortese|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/3907372/Double-life-of-Shane-Cortese|publisher=Stuff|author=Woulfe, Catherine|date=11 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Celebrity apprentices: Tim Balme and Shane Cortese|url=http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/news/celebrity-apprentices-tim-balme-and-shane-cortese/1047838/|work=The Bay of Plenty Times|date=14 March 2011|publisher=APN News & Media}}</ref>

==Personal life== In January 2006, Cortese and his ''Dancing with the Stars'' partner Nerida Lister announced they were dating,<ref name=interviews/><ref>[http://www.kiwiherald.com/CorteseLister.html Cortese Lister]</ref> then in 2006, New Idea magazine announced that they were expecting their first baby. In April 2007, Kees Armas Cortese was born by water birth at North Shore Hospital. The first exclusive photos of Kees were shown in the New Zealand magazine New Idea a month after his birth.<ref>[http://strictlydancing.utopian-totality.co.uk/content/view/4462/2/ Strictly Come Dancing Online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219200725/http://strictlydancing.utopian-totality.co.uk/content/view/4462/2/ |date=19 December 2007 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.boatingnz.co.nz/4209155a11215.html Celebrities flock to see Cooper Kids (+pics) – New Zealand's source for entertainment news, gossip & music, movie & book reviews on Stuff.co.nz] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120904101307/http://www.boatingnz.co.nz/4209155a11215.html |date=4 September 2012 }}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090125045448/http://www.nzrealitytv.com/2007/05/dwts-news-28-may-2007.html New Zealand Reality TV: DWTS News 28 May 2007]</ref> Shane and Nerida became engaged on 26 February 2008 and later married in early 2009.<ref name=doublelife/> In 2008 Cortese was contacted by a 15-year-old girl that he discovered was his daughter from a past relationship.<ref name=doublelife/> Shane and Nerida welcomed a second son in July 2011 named Jett Patrick Cortese.<ref name=interviews/><ref name=baby>{{cite web|title=Celebrity couple welcome baby boy|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10739239|work=The New Zealand Herald|publisher=APN News & Media|date=18 July 2011|author=Glucina, Rachel}}</ref> In 2019, Shane and Nerida Cortese split after 10 years of marriage.

A very keen cricketer, he was educated at Tauranga Boys' College and was in the 1st XI from 1981 to 1985.

Cortese remains close friends with his ''Shortland Street'' screen brother Michael Galvin.<ref name=interviews/>

==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Role !scope="col" class="unsortable"|Notes |- !scope="row"|''Inside'' |2006 |Michael |Short film |}

=== Television === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Role !scope="col" class="unsortable"|Notes |- !scope="row"|''Joseph 2000'' |2000 |Pharaoh |Television film |- !scope="row"|''SCU: Serious Crash Unit'' |2001–15 |Himself – Narrator | |- !scope="row"|''Shortland Street'' |2003–2004 |Dominic Thompson |Main role |- !scope="row"|''Dancing with the Stars'' |2005 |Himself – Contestant | |- !scope="row"|''Maddigan's Quest'' |2006 |Timon's Father |Episode: "Hillfolk" |- !scope="row"|''So You Think You Can Dance'' |2006 |Himself – Host | |- !scope="row"|''Outrageous Fortune'' |2006–10 |{{sort|Peters|Hayden Peters}} |Recurring role (seasons 2–3; 21 episodes), main role (seasons 4–6; 34 episodes) |- !scope="row"|''The Jaquie Brown Diaries'' |rowspan="2"|2008 |Himself |Episode: "Brown Sweat" |- !scope="row"|''Burying Brian'' |{{sort|Welch|Brian Welch}} |Main role |- !scope="row"|''Legend of the Seeker'' |2009 |Morwyn |Episode: "Marked" |- !scope="row"|''Brown Bruthaz'' |2011 |{{sort|Benton|Victor Benton}} |Main role |- !scope="row"|''{{sortname|The|Almighty Johnsons}}'' |2011–13 |{{sort|Gunderson|Colin Gunderson}} |Recurring role (16 episodes) |- !scope="row"|''Nothing Trivial'' |2011–14 |{{sort|Delany|Mac Delany}} |Main role (31 episodes)<br />Nominated – Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (2012) |- !scope="row"|''Auckland Daze'' |2013–14 |Shane |3 episodes |- !scope="row"|''{{sortname|The|Brokenwood Mysteries}}'' |2015–present |{{sort|Buchanan|Dennis Buchanan}} |Recurring role (season 2–present; 10 episodes) |- !scope="row"|''Step Dave'' |2015 |{{sort|Russell|Eugene Russell}} |Recurring role (season 2; 6 episodes) |- !scope="row"|''Westside'' |2017–18 |{{sort|Peters|Danny Peters}} |7 episodes |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=1085161|name=Shane Cortese}} * [http://www.shanecortese.com/ Shane Cortese's Website] * [http://www.actors.co.nz/search/Shane-Cortese Shane Cortese – Karen Kay Management]

{{s-start}} {{succession box|title=''Dancing with the Stars (New Zealand)'' runner up|before=''Show Started''|after=Beatrice Faumuina & Brian Jones |years=Season 1 (2005 with Nerida Lister)}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cortese, Shane}} Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:New Zealand male musical theatre actors Category:New Zealand male television actors Category:New Zealand male soap opera actors Category:New Zealand male stage actors Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Category:Male actors from Wellington City Category:People educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School