A national treasure like you’ve never seen her before

Robyn Malcolm is a national treasure.

You might know her best as Cheryl West from Outrageous Fortune - but there’s so much more to her story.

In this candid, funny, and deeply honest episode, Robyn opens up about solo parenting during the peak of her fame, political activism, After The Party’s global success, and why she spent years in what she calls “actor jail.”

We talk about the power of age-appropriate actors on screen, her time working alongside Temuera Morrison and Antony Starr, raising two sons (who might just follow in her footsteps), and why she’s feeling more ambitious at 60 than ever before.

She’s bold. She’s brilliant. She doesn’t hold back. And it’s one of our favourites.

This week, we’re kicking off a new segment from Marketing Mitch — our behind-the-scenes man with the keenest ear in the room. He's an old friend of the podcast and we're stoked to be working with him. Each week Mitch is going to share ten things he learnt from the episode, in his own words.

Here's his first crack at it:

1. Robyn’s partner is Scottish actor Peter Mullan
   You might know him from Ozark, Westworld, or Top of the Lake. He’s a BAFTA winner and a proper force.

2. Her BAFTA-nominated series After The Party blew up overseas
   Set in Wellington, After The Party made waves in the UK, Australia, and even screened at Series Mania in France. Robyn thought it might go under the radar… it didn’t.

3. She juggled solo motherhood and stardom
   During the early Outrageous Fortune years, Robyn had two babies at home. She literally breastfed between takes.

4. She hadn’t worked with Temuera Morrison in decades until Far North
   Despite NZ being a small industry, it took over 20 years since Shortland Street for their paths to cross again.

5. She lives half the year in Glasgow
   Not just visiting, she’s built a proper life there.

6. Her kids might follow her into acting
   Though she’s not totally sold on that path for them just yet…

7. ‘Actor jail’ is real in New Zealand
   After Outrageous Fortune, Robyn was basically blacklisted. NZ culture can be funny about celebrating success.

8. She’s politically fearless and furious with the current Government
   Robyn has a long history of activism. These days, she’s got no interest in playing it safe.

9. She’s mostly vegan and doesn't drink
   She’ll only drink the good stuff, eats mostly plant-based (apart from oysters), and stopped drinking after a bad hangover on Agent Anna... except if out for dinner and "there's a bloody good bottle of wine on the table"

10. At 60, she’s more in demand than ever
    Her international reputation is booming. One the back of After The Party, production companies in London want to work with her. Robyn's ambition is “burning as fiercely as when I was 21.”

Our guests have some great stories to share. Hear them live at your next event with B2Bspeakers.co.nz to find out more.

Each week we release some never before seen insights about the pod. If you aren’t already sign up here.