Actor Robbie Magasiva chatted about starring in the Fox series “Rescue: HI-Surf.”
‘Rescue: HI-Surf’
“The show is physically demanding and hard for us all, cast and crew,” he said about the show. “At the same time, it has been an absolute dream. This has been a dream job for me. It’s my first U.S. job.”
Magasiva continued, “I had already moved over in December, and I booked this before Christmas, so in terms of chasing the dream, this was the ideal way to be introduced into America.”
“Then, to get to work in Hawaii has been great because this has been my playground for the last seven months. Just to be surrounded by Hawaiians and to be able to tell their stories has been such a blessing. I am very grateful,” he acknowledged.
Playing Harlan ‘Sonny’ Jennings
Magasiva plays the role of Harlan “Sonny” Jennings. “Originally when we did the pilot, my character was Hawaiian, and then, Matt Kester, our executive producer and showrunner, turned my character into a Samoan.”
“Brian Keaulana and Terry Ahue are both pioneers of lifeguarding, so to be able to tell their stories has been incredible,” he noted.
“At the same time, they were honored to have a brown face like mine represent them in a leading role capacity. That was a step forward for all of us,” he said.
Career-defining moment: ‘Rescue: HI-Surf’
Speaking of “Rescue: HI-Surf,” he described it as a career-defining moment. “For me, personally, to get this job, it was a tough time,” he admitted.
“I feel like I needed to go through those tough times to get to where I am now, and now, I am very grateful. This job defined me in the whole process of getting to where I am now,” he explained.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Magasiva said, “I am still trying to work out what that is. I don’t think about the digital age as much. I just let the people that know about those things do their job. I just trust the process.”
“For me, I am just enjoying life in my downtime until we hopefully go and film again,” he added.
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and emerging actors, he said, “Personally, from my point of view, it’s tough. It is absolutely hard. You have to be emotionally prepared because you are going to get kicked and beat. I think it’s more ruthless now than when I first started before the social media age.”
“Also, we are in a generation now where you can make your own content. Back when I started, over 30 years ago, you had to wait for the jobs. Just be patient and don’t be a d**k,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Magasiva revealed, “Survivor.”
“It has been a roller coaster ride,” he said. “I am in the ripe age of 52, and I’ve just gotten to where I was destined to be now. I am surviving financially and emotionally.”
Favorite motto to live by
On his favorite motto to live by, he responded, “Don’t be a d**k.”
“That goes a long way, especially in my industry,” he admitted. “I love my ‘Rescue: HI-Surf’ family, my cast and my crew. They are all my family. So, being nice to people goes a long way.”
Superpower of choice
If he were to have any superpower, it would be “to fly,” especially since “flying these days is expensive,” as well as to “read people’s minds.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Magasiva said, “Success, to me, would be my kids’ happiness. They are adults now, but they are my why; I would do anything for my kids.”
Message for his fans and supporters
For fans and viewers, he concluded about the show, “We are telling a story about an ocean rescue community here in Hawaii, and what you see are actually true events and rescues that have happened in the past.”
“It has been an honor for me and a lot of those guys that work on the show,” he expressed. “I want people to take away what it means to be a lifeguard, and what they go through here in Hawaii.”
To learn more about actor Robbie Magasiva, follow him on Instagram.
