Madeleine Sami: New Zealand Actor, Writer and Director

Introduction

Madeleine Sami is a New Zealand actor, comedian, writer, director, musician and television presenter. She is known for creating memorable characters and working both in front of and behind the camera.

Her best-known projects include Super City, The Breaker Upperers, Deadloch, Double Parked, The Great Kiwi Bake Off and The Traitors New Zealand.

Madeleine first gained attention through theatre before moving into television and film. She later became a creator who could write, direct and perform in the same production.

Her recent work shows that she remains an active and important part of the New Zealand and Australian entertainment industries.

Madeleine Sami Quick Facts

Detail	Verified information
Professional name	Madeleine Sami
Nationality	New Zealander
From	Auckland, New Zealand
Profession	Actor, comedian, writer, director, musician and presenter
Known for	Super City, The Breaker Upperers and Deadloch
Early career	Professional theatre
Major television role	Detective Eddie Redcliffe in Deadloch
Major film project	The Breaker Upperers
Recent presenting work	The Traitors New Zealand Season 3
Music group	The Sami Sisters

Who Is Madeleine Sami?

Madeleine Sami is a multi-skilled New Zealand entertainer who has worked in theatre, television, film, music and comedy.

Many actors mainly perform roles written by other people. Madeleine has taken a wider path. She has created television programmes, written scripts, directed episodes and played leading characters.

This combination of skills helped her build a career that is not limited to one type of entertainment.

She can perform serious drama, broad comedy, character-based humour and unscripted television. She has also directed productions in both New Zealand and Australia.

Madeleine Sami’s New Zealand Background

Madeleine grew up in Auckland and began entertaining people at a young age.

She has explained that performing for her family gave her some of her earliest experience. She enjoyed impersonating people, singing and creating different characters.

Her professional journey began earlier than she had expected.

She had planned to take a break after school, but an opportunity to join Toa Fraser’s stage production Bare changed her direction.

The play became successful and travelled to the Edinburgh Festival. This gave Madeleine international theatre experience near the beginning of her career.

Beginning of Her Acting Career

After returning to New Zealand, Madeleine received an early television role on Shortland Street.

She played Dr Shivani Naran during a five-month period on the popular soap. Although the role was not long, it introduced her to national television audiences.

She continued working in both theatre and screen productions.

One of her most demanding early theatre projects was No. 2, another work connected with playwright Toa Fraser.

Madeleine performed nine different characters in the one-person show. She toured with the production for almost two years.

The experience showed her ability to change her voice, movement and personality while moving quickly between characters.

Early Television and Film Roles

During the 2000s, Madeleine appeared in several New Zealand television programmes and films.

Her early screen work included:

• Fish Skin Suit
• Pio!
• Perfect Strangers
• The Insiders Guide to Happiness
• Sione’s Wedding
• The Jaquie Brown Diaries
• Eagle vs Shark
• bro’Town

Her role in Sione’s Wedding helped introduce her comedy work to a larger audience.

She also provided voices for animated productions. Voice acting allowed her to use the character skills that she had developed through theatre and comedy.

Super City and Her Television Breakthrough

Super City became one of Madeleine Sami’s most important television projects.

She created and co-wrote the comedy series while also playing several main characters.

The programme followed different people living in Auckland. Madeleine changed her appearance, voice and behaviour to make each character feel separate.

Taika Waititi directed the first season, while Oscar Kightley directed the second season.

The programme was important because it allowed Madeleine to create roles rather than wait for traditional casting opportunities.

Her performance in Super City earned her an Aotearoa Film and Television Award for Best Performance by an Actress.

The series also established her as more than a comedy performer. It showed that she could develop an original idea and help lead the complete creative process.

The Breaker Upperers

In 2018, Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek released The Breaker Upperers.

They co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the film.

The story follows Mel and Jen, two friends who run a business that helps people end unwanted relationships.

The film uses comedy to explore friendship, emotional pain, honesty and personal change.

The Breaker Upperers premiered at the South by Southwest festival in the United States. It later received a successful cinema release in New Zealand and reached international viewers through Netflix.

Taika Waititi served as an executive producer through Piki Films.

The project took several years to develop. Madeleine and Jackie worked on different versions of the story before focusing on the friendship between the two main characters.

The film became an important example of women taking control of writing, directing and starring in a New Zealand comedy.

Madeleine Sami in Deadloch

Madeleine gained a wider international audience through the Australian crime-comedy series Deadloch.

She plays Detective Eddie Redcliffe opposite Kate Box, who plays Detective Dulcie Collins.

Eddie is loud, direct and unpredictable, while Dulcie is more controlled and careful. Their different personalities create much of the programme’s comedy.

However, Deadloch is not only a comedy. The programme also follows serious criminal investigations and explores social issues through its characters and setting.

The first season was mainly set in Tasmania.

Season two was released on Prime Video on 20 March 2026. The story moved to Australia’s Northern Territory, where Eddie and Dulcie investigated another difficult case.

The second season included six episodes and again placed Madeleine in one of the programme’s central roles.

Double Parked

Madeleine also starred in and directed episodes of the New Zealand comedy series Double Parked.

She played Nat opposite Antonia Prebble.

The programme follows a couple whose lives change when both women become pregnant at the same time.

The story mixes family pressure, relationship challenges and comedy.

Madeleine originally expected to work mainly as a director on the production. She later decided to play Nat after connecting with the character and her use of humour during difficult situations.

Her work on the programme demonstrated her ability to move between acting and directing within the same series.

Other Important Acting Roles

Madeleine Sami has appeared in many recognised New Zealand and international productions.

Her other screen credits include:

• Top of the Lake
• What We Do in the Shadows
• Slow West
• The Bad Seed
• Come to Daddy
• Baby Done
• Our Flag Means Death
• Gold Diggers
• Madam
• Aroha Bridge

In The Bad Seed, she played detective Marie Da Silva.

She later appeared as Archie in the second season of Our Flag Means Death.

Her career includes independent films, major streaming series, television dramas, animation and comedy programmes.

Career as a Director

Directing has become an important part of Madeleine Sami’s professional work.

She began directing television comedy through Funny Girls.

Her later directing credits have included:

• Double Parked
• Raised by Refugees
• Gold Diggers
• Madam
• The Sanctuary

Her professional agency lists The Sanctuary among her 2026 directing credits.

Moving into directing allowed Madeleine to help shape the full story, including the performances, comedy timing and visual style.

It also gave her another way to support original television stories from New Zealand and Australia.

Television Presenting

Madeleine has also worked as a television presenter.

She co-hosted three seasons of The Great Kiwi Bake Off with Hayley Sproull.

The programme followed home bakers as they completed different cooking challenges.

Madeleine brought comedy and warmth to the hosting role while helping contestants feel comfortable during stressful moments.

In 2026, she became the presenter of the third season of The Traitors New Zealand.

The reality competition places contestants into two secret groups: Faithfuls and Traitors. Players must study each other’s behaviour and decide who may be secretly working against the group.

Hosting the programme required Madeleine to create tension, explain challenges and guide contestants through dramatic round-table meetings.

The role added another major television format to her career.

Taskmaster New Zealand

Madeleine competed in the first season of Taskmaster New Zealand in 2020.

The programme asks comedians and entertainers to complete unusual challenges.

Some tasks require creativity, while others test speed, planning or problem-solving.

Her appearance introduced viewers to more of her natural humour and personality outside a scripted acting role.

Music With The Sami Sisters

Madeleine is also a musician.

She performed with her sisters Anji and Priya as The Sami Sisters.

The group released the album Happy Heartbreak in 2011.

Her music career is another example of her wide creative background. Singing and live performance were part of her life before she became widely known through television and film.

Awards and Recognition

Madeleine received an Aotearoa Film and Television Award for her performance in Super City.

She has also received industry recognition for acting, writing and comedy work across different productions.

In 2025, she was nominated for Best Actress in a Series at the New Zealand Screen Awards for her performance in Double Parked Season 2.

Awards are only one part of her career. Her larger achievement is the range of roles she has completed as an actor, writer, director and creator.

Why Is Madeleine Sami Famous?

Madeleine Sami is famous for creating and playing unusual comedy characters, leading successful New Zealand screen projects and appearing in internationally watched television series.

She became especially well known through:

• Creating and starring in Super City
• Co-making The Breaker Upperers
• Playing Eddie Redcliffe in Deadloch
• Acting in Double Parked
• Hosting The Great Kiwi Bake Off
• Presenting The Traitors New Zealand
• Directing comedy and drama series

Her career stands out because she does not work in only one creative role.

Madeleine Sami’s Current Work

As of August 2026, Madeleine Sami remains active in acting, directing and television presenting.

Her major recent projects include Deadloch Season 2, The Traitors New Zealand Season 3 and the New Zealand series The Sanctuary.

These projects show the different sides of her career.

In Deadloch, she is a leading actor in an international streaming series.

In The Traitors New Zealand, she works as a reality television host.

Through The Sanctuary, she continues her work as a director.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Madeleine Sami known for?

She is best known for Super City, The Breaker Upperers, Deadloch, Double Parked and The Traitors New Zealand.

What nationality is Madeleine Sami?

She is a New Zealander from Auckland.

What does Madeleine Sami do?

She works as an actor, comedian, writer, director, musician and television presenter.

Did Madeleine Sami create Super City?

Yes. She created and co-wrote Super City and played several characters in the programme.

Did Madeleine Sami direct The Breaker Upperers?

Yes. She co-directed the film with Jackie van Beek. They also co-wrote it and played the two main characters.

Who does Madeleine Sami play in Deadloch?

She plays Detective Eddie Redcliffe.

Was Madeleine Sami on Taskmaster New Zealand?

Yes. She competed in the first season in 2020.

Did Madeleine Sami host The Great Kiwi Bake Off?

Yes. She co-hosted three seasons with Hayley Sproull.

Does Madeleine Sami direct television programmes?

Yes. Her directing credits include Funny Girls, Double Parked, Raised by Refugees, Gold Diggers, Madam and The Sanctuary.

Is Madeleine Sami a musician?

Yes. She performed with her sisters in the group The Sami Sisters.

Conclusion

Madeleine Sami has built one of New Zealand’s most varied entertainment careers.

She began in theatre before moving into television, film, comedy and music. She later expanded her work by writing and directing her own projects.

Super City showed her skill at creating characters. The Breaker Upperers demonstrated her ability to write, direct and lead a film. Deadloch introduced her work to a larger international streaming audience.

Her recent acting, directing and presenting roles show that she continues to develop new parts of her career while remaining closely connected with New Zealand entertainment.