FIJI-born actor Manu Tupou dies
Feisty
Fiji-born actor dies
(Saturday, June 12, 2004)
FIJI-born actor Manu Tupou died in his Hollywood home on Saturday last week.
He was 69 and single at the time of his death.
He acted in the film A Man Called Horse alongside the legendary Richard Harris.
He was the son of Vilisoni Pau'u Fatafehi of the Mataqali Togalevu from Sawana Village in
Vanuabalavu, a former civil servant and ex-serviceman who saw action in the Solomons. His mother
Kalolaini Waimuana was the sister of Lusiana Qolikoro, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara's mother, former
cabinet minister and Fiji Sugar Corporation executive Ratu Viliame Dreunimisimisi's mother and top
Fijian businesswoman Mere Samisoni's mother, Mere. They were also from the same mataqali as Mr
Fatafehi. Mr Tupou also acted in the movies The Takeover, Love Affair, Hurricane, Castaway Cowboy,
Extraordinary Seaman and his debut Hawaii.
His brother Peni Fatafehi said Manu's love affair with acting was a strange twist of events.
"He was groomed by Ratu Sukuna for public service like his late cousin (Ratu Sir Kamisese) and was
destined for Oxford," Mr Fatafehi said. "Then he got off the plane for a brief stopover in New York
before heading for the next plane when he read about a vacancy for a place on a movie that needed a
dark skinned person to act as a Hawaiian prince.
"He auditioned for that movie, left his address with the company but got on the plane for London
later.
"When he arrived in London a cable arrived and he was on the next flight back to New York.
Mr Tupou acted in that movie Hawaii - a debut performance but his career almost came to end.
"The producers wanted to sack the director who hired Manu but Manu would have nothing of it.
"He told them if the director goes I go.
"Manu was then a rookie - fresh from the islands with hardly any money in his pocket and had landed
a high salary job as an actor - but he would never betray those he loved."
Mr Tupou was cremated by his Church group the Church of Scientology and have kept his ashes in an
urn. They will conduct a church service in Hollywood on June 19.
Skip Press
Feisty <su...@skytoday.com> wrote:
The director mentioned above was George Roy Hill.
Manu was one of the few relatively sane people I met in $cientology. He
was a very good actor and teacher, a member of the Actors Studio in New
York when Milton Katselas couldn't even get in. His best friend was
Marion Dougherty, the long-term head of casting at Warner Bros. He was
for a decade the voice of "Herbal Essence" shampoo commercials, with a
rich deep voice rivaling that of James Earl Jones.
Like most actors, his career went progressively downward the longer he
stayed in the cult.
He was also for a while John Travolta's "auditor."
May the shark god who blessed you in your mother's arms that day in the
lagoon bless you again at your next destination, Manu. Now you're free
of the cult, and you never need return.
Mahalo, aloha, until I see you again.
--
Skip Press
http://www.skippress.com
I will not believe our labors are lost. I shall not die without a hope that
light and liberty are on a steady advance.
-- Thomas Jefferson
roger gonnet
"Skip Press" <skipsp...@charter.net> a écrit dans le message de
news:110620041604127637%skipsp...@charter.net...
Thanks.
I don't remember having seen Manu Tupou in newspapers or TVs boasting
scientology successes. He was sometimes quoted in scn publications, but not
quite often since years.
His last film seems 1996 the Takeover
http://www.tvguide.com/movies/database/showmovie.asp?MI=38221
He was 69 only. Another relatively young scientologist died.
roger
LaserClam
>Date: 6/12/04 3:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <40caabe5$0$13826$626a...@news.free.fr>
>
>
>Thanks.
>
>I don't remember having seen Manu Tupou in newspapers or TVs boasting
>scientology successes. He was sometimes quoted in scn publications, but not
>quite often since years.
>
>His last film seems 1996 the Takeover
>http://www.tvguide.com/movies/database/showmovie.asp?MI=38221
>
>He was 69 only. Another relatively young scientologist died.
>
Trying to prevent someone from getting another body?
>
>roger
>
roger gonnet
"LaserClam" <lase...@aol.com> a écrit dans le message de
news:20040612063556...@mb-m17.aol.com...
We know your stupid theories. No, I don't stop people wanting to die for
some good reason to die. But for the bad reasons and for the sake of the
scientology lies, yes, I protest against people dying too young...
r
>
>
>
>
> >
> >roger
> >
>
>
vic67...@gmail.com
rogergonnet
one, most probably. He was a Clear since long.
<vic67...@gmail.com> a �crit dans le message de news:
6b5eedd7-7f4c-4e58...@googlegroups.com...
arsweek...@gmail.com
[...]
The hallmark of the NEAT technique is its respect for the sanctity and sanity of the individual artist-upgrading the artist's creation away from the limitations of memory and recalled past experiences, into a more redeeming and uplifting "slice of life," happening here and now in present time. This was the major difference in approach from the way his mentor Lee Strasberg taught Tupou and his classmates. One of the main philosophies behind the technique is that each talent is a unique essence unto itself- and also the most important, single, irreducible creative element in any production. Also equally unique (almost without exception), each talent observed will be found to have his own "working problem" as a creative artist. Small or large, the working problem can effectively sabotage any actor's creative abilities, and hence, their career. Tupou an important aspect was not only to correctly and accurately identify the working problem of an actor but more importantly providing a workable route by which such problems could be overcome through understanding and improved artistic ability."
[...]
--Feisty