Shorty's comeback queen 'I'VE NEVER BEEN SO EXHAUSTED!'

Laurel's return as nurse Kate Hannah is full-on now she's in charge of an energetic toddler and planning her 40th

- Rebekah Hebenton

She’s been a body double for Sigourney Weaver in Avatar, played a beloved Shortland Street character and won awards for her work in theatre, but Laurel Devenie says no acting job could have prepared her for her hardest role yet – keeping up with the active imagination of her three-year old daughter Lyra.

“She loves to role play and she loves being told bespoke stories,” tells Laurel, who shares Lyra with partner Matt Keene, 52. “All day, she’ll be like, ‘Can you tell me a story about me and you going to the moon?’ Or it’ll be about going to a different land.

“During the most recent lockdown, Matt had to be Shrek for three weeks. And we've had to be all of the Dr Seuss characters, and you have to stay in the role for a long time. Even with all my training, I'm still exhausted," she adds with a laugh.

Lyra's keen interest in performing is no surprise considering the impressive pedigree she hails from.

Laurel's dad Stuart is also an actor, starring in Kiwi classics like The Brokenwood Mysteries and Shortland Street, and though her mum Gillian retired from acting a long time ago, she is often roped in to help on shows that Laurel and Stuart create together.