A Family Affair

With three generations of actresses in situ, the Harcourt McKenzie household is full of drama. Its youngest star, 17-year-old Thomasin, is set to appear in Taika Waititis latest flick; Sarah Catherall sat down with her and the clan

- Sarah Catherall

Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie hugs her poodle, Toto, and stares out of the living room window wistfully, pointing to an expansive view of Lyall Bay below. Turning to her 91-year-old grandmother, Dame Kate Harcourt, the young actress says: “There was a huge pod of dolphins out there the other day, Grandma. The neighbours brought their binoculars over so you could see them, but you were out.”

For the past decade, three generations of the McKenzie Harcourt family have shared this home perched above Houghton Bay, with 260-degree views of the wild south coast and the airport in the distance. The young actress’s father, Stuart McKenzie, stands at a frying pan in the open plan kitchen, concocting a vegan soup for his family. Last year, 17-year-old Thomasin became vegan for ethical reasons, so he’s happily expanded his cooking repertoire.

On a typical evening in the Harcourt McKenzie household, there are few signs that this schoolgirl is one of the country’s hottest screen talents. In May, Thomasin spent a few days at the prestigious Cannes film festival to publicise her role in US director Debra Granik’s indie film, Leave No Trace.

Screening in the NZ International Film Festival starting on July 19, the story follows a homeless father, Will (Ben Foster), and his daughter, 13-year old Tom (Thomasin), who are found living off the grid in a rainforest in Portland, Oregon. When authorities pluck them from their hidden world, Will and Tom embark on an increasingly challenging journey in search of a place to call their own.

When the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, reviewers raved about Thomasin, with IndieWire’s most anticipated Sundance Film preview article saying: “The last time Granik found a teenage actress to anchor her film, it was Jennifer Lawrence [in Winter’s Bone], and early word is that New Zealand-born McKenzie could be yet another breakout.”