DAVID HARTNELL’S: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW
Andrew Whiteside Andrew Whiteside is a TV presenter and writer who lives in Newton. What was your childhood like? Full of imagination and daydreaming - so much so that I think the other kids thought I was very, very odd. I grew up in a rundown factory town but fortunately missed out on having to go “down the mines.” Most annoying celebrity today? Ben Affleck - he’s not annoying, but he’s annoyed me by portraying New Zealand badly and wrongly in Argo. Would you ever consider having Botox? Never! The thought of regular needles in my face freaks me out. I’m happy to grow old disgracefully. On reflection, what was it like being one of the original presenters on the first ever gay TVNZ program? A fantastic experience and though it was a very hard thing to do at times, I am very proud that I was with it for nine years and that a generation of gay kids grew up watching it.
Best movie you’ve ever seen? Shirley Valentine - the story of a working class mother who goes on a fantasy trip to Greece. It reminded me so much of the marriages of my parents and their generation. The last time you cried? A few weeks ago, dealing with my father who has severe dementia. I’m a great believer in men crying - great way to cleanse the soul. Give your teenaged self some advice? Stop worrying about what people think of you, and make sure you keep moisturising, I’ll thank you for it later. P.S. - thank you. Your favourite book? It has to be The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I bought it when I was five years old, and I have never forgotten the magical spell it had on me.
Any acting aspirations? Long ago in school and late teens, but I suffered so badly from performance anxiety I gave it away. What gizmo can you simply not live without? My iPad! I’ve never read as many magazines or books as I have with it - it’s my new BFF. What is your greatest weakness/indulgence? I cannot leave a box of chocolate biscuits alone - I hear them calling to me. A handshake, hug or cheek-kiss kind of person? All three depending on the person and situation, but I’m definitely not a kiss on the lips guy unless I really like you! Favourite season? Autumn in New Zealand, as we usually have the best weather.
How would you like to be remembered? I don’t mind if I’m not, and I certainly don’t want to waste space by having a grave. Just cremate me when I’m gone and use the ashes on the rose bushes.
Favourite time of the day? The morning just before sunrise - the day is just beginning, and while I may have a plan for it, I don’t truly know what is coming.
What CD would you take to a desert island? Diana Ross and the Supremes.
What are you insecure about? Trying to create answers to questions about my life!
Something that you really disapprove of? Bars and restaurants, that still don’t prevent cigarette smoke from entering their premises.
Something very few people know about you? I have a piercing somewhere on my body below my navel.
Describe your first pet? Ok. Here goes. I had a very large chicken and her name was Samantha. Yes, I named her.
Your greatest fear? Finding myself naked on a bus since that’s been the most consistent dream over my life time.
How do you take your coffee? I can’t stand coffee, but love green tea with fresh lemon juice and grated ginger.
Your favourite hero of fiction? Dare I say it: Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. A woman not willing to be constrained by society’s mores and hierarchies. Am I gay or what?
Travel light or heavy? Nowadays, I travel light, but when I was a lot younger I packed everything I might need, including, dare I say it, an iron.
Change one thing about yourself what would it be? My dress sense!
If you could change one law or policy in New Zealand, what would it be? To go back to giving us 10 year passports! It’s really annoying to have to change them every four and a half years. (DAVID HARTNELL) F PN
A million dollars, what is the first thing you would do? Book into a health spa in a tropical location for a month, eat healthy food and drink water with lemon juice in it every day. Either that or go on a massive shopping spree. What motivates you? When there is a constant stream of bad news in the media, I am motivated and reassured by witnessing the incredible creativity and positive things that human beings are capable of in all fields of endeavor: sport, science, innovation, and humanitarian acts. What happens when we die? I think we cease to exist completely - a hard thing to accept, but I just don’t think heaven and hell or concepts in between really exist.
12 PONSONBY NEWS+ September 2013
Which living person do you most admire? Queen Elizabeth the Second. She has devoted herself to serving her country all her life and has done it remarkably well. Basically I can’t resist an old queen.
Your dream guest list for a dinner party? Jamie Oliver - so he can actually cook the meal. Michael Bublé - to provide some entertainment. Michio Kaku so I can ask him to explain physics to me in plain English.
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