Shimpal Lelisi

{{Short description|Niuean actor and TV presenter}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox person |image=Shimpal Lelisi on The Cafe.jpg |caption=Shimpal in 2018 |birth_name= |birth_place=Niue |occupation=Actor/TV Presenter }} '''Shimpal Lelisi''' (born {{circa|1973}})<ref name=nzh1/> is a New Zealand actor and TV presenter, best known as one of the members of the Naked Samoans.

==Biography== Born in Niue, Shimpal came to New Zealand at the age of four.<ref name=nzosbio>{{cite web |url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/shimpal-lelisi/biography |title=Shimpal Lelisi |publisher=NZ OnScreen |accessdate=2 March 2021}}</ref> He began acting at an early age, taking part in school productions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/technology/the-box/star-of-the-week/8433/Shimpal-Lelisi |title=Shimpal Lelisi |publisher=Stuff|location=New Zealand |date=31 January 2009 |accessdate=2 March 2021}}</ref> Theatre was the beginning of his professional career, and among his stage appearances was with the Naked Samoans in ''Naked Samoans Talk about Their Knives''. Shimpal has since stayed with the group in later productions. The latest of the show was in December 2006 entitled ''Naked Samoans Go Home (Again)''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Naked Samoans back home on stage |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=30 November 2006 |via=EBSCOHost}}</ref>

In 1999, Shimpal joined the core cast of the soap opera ''Shortland Street'', playing the role of Nurse Louie Iosefa.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://omny.fm/shows/pacificmedianetwork/shimpal-lelisi-performing-comes-naturally-especial |title=Shimpal Lelisi – Performing comes naturally especially being creative in Sunday school. |publisher=Pacific Media Network |date=30 June 2020 |accessdate=2 March 2021}}</ref> However, his most successful involvement with television has been ''bro'Town''. Shimpal is credited as both voice actor and writer for the animated series with the three other original Naked Samoans. In 2006, he co-starred in the comedy film ''Sione's Wedding''.<ref name=nzosbio/> Shimpal also works as a TV reporter for Tagata Pasifika (which co-stars Robbie Magasiva).<ref name=nzosbio/>

In 2014 he was fined $900 and banned from driving for six months for drunk-driving.<ref name=nzh1>{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/siones-wedding-actor-banned-from-driving-after-drunken-spin/QTRGJRP7R6DGAAXGS2K2YRT4WA/ |title=Sione's Wedding actor banned from driving after drunken spin |work=The New Zealand Herald|date=31 July 2014 |accessdate=2 March 2021}}</ref>

Lelisi is a castaway on the 2022 series of the New Zealand reality television show ''Celebrity Treasure Island''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/celebrity-treasure-island-ep-two-dame-susan-devoys-secret-feud-revealed/66XO5IHNOL66UBJPJTBGFWOISE/ |title=Celebrity Treasure Island ep two: Dame Susan Devoy's secret feud revealed |first=Lillie |last=Rohan |date=6 September 2022 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film=== {|class=wikitable |- !Film !!Year !!Role |- |''Sione's 2: Unfinished Business'' ||2012 ||Sefa |- | ''Sione's Wedding'' ||2006 ||Sefa |}

===Television=== {|class=wikitable |- !Series !!Year !!Role |- |''Radiradirah'' ||2010 ||Tony/Andy the Android |- | ''Tagata Pasifika'' ||2006–present ||Presenter |- | ''bro'Town'' ||2004–2009 ||Valea Pepelo (voice) |- | ''Shortland Street'' ||1999–2000 ||Nurse Louie Iosefa |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/shimpal-lelisi Profile and Biography of Shimpal] on NZ On Screen *{{IMDb name|0500955}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lelisi, Shimpal}} Category:Niuean actors Category:New Zealand male television actors Category:New Zealand television presenters Category:Niuean emigrants to New Zealand Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:New Zealand male soap opera actors Category:20th-century New Zealand male actors Category:21st-century New Zealand male actors Category:Participants in New Zealand reality television series Category:New Zealand sketch comedians Category:New Zealand male comedians Category:21st-century New Zealand comedians