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Madeleine Sami

Madeleine Sami

Actor and director, also writer · Born May 10, 1980 (46) · Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

Actor Madeleine Sami won international acclaim starring in two Toa Fraser plays: 1998's Bare and solo show No 2. Aged 18, she debuted on screen on Shortland Street and Pio. Following Insiders Guide to Happiness, she played Oscar Kightley's romantic interest in Sione's Wedding. Sami went on to win an NZ acting award for Super City, in which she created and played multiple characters. In 2018 comedy The Breaker Upperers hit cinemas; Sami co-wrote, co-directed and co-starred with Jackie van Beek.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 10, 1980 (46)
From
Auckland, North Island, New Zealand
Works as
Actor and director, also writer
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 34 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Up 35% in 30 days

What are Madeleine Sami's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
52%
Self
32%
Morality
13%
Society
4%
Friendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
6
Tense
4
Melancholic
3
Bittersweet
2
Absurd
4
Other
6

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Madeleine Sami's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Madeleine Sami's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

34 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Urzila (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Lesbian Space Princess(2025)

    as Queen Anne (voice)

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Double Parked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 16 episodes · Director · as Nat

  • Deadloch(2023)

    Show 14 episodes · Writer · as Eddie Redcliffe

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Our Flag Means Death(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Archie

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Raised by Refugees (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Patriot Brains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Contestant

  • Baby Done(2020)

    as Hospital Midwife

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Have You Been Paying Attention? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 5 episodes · as Panellist

  • My Life Is Murder(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Lena

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Golden Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 8 episodes · as Claire

  • Educators (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as ERO Inspector #1

  • Come to Daddy(2019)

    as Gladys

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Bad Seed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 5 episodes · as Detective Marie Da Silva

  • The Breaker Upperers(2018)

    Director · Writer · as Mel

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • (Time) Travel Centre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Donna

  • Funny Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

  • Slow West(2015)

    as Marimacho

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • What We Do in the Shadows(2014)

    as Morana

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Aroha Bridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 22 episodes · Writer · as Mum Hook / Angeline Hook / Aunty Winny (voice)

  • Sione's 2: Unfinished Business(2012)

    as Tania

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Super City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 14 episodes · Actor

  • Radiradirah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 8 episodes · as Various

  • Boy(2010)

    as Beat It Gang

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Under the Mountain(2009)

    as Constable Wood

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • 7 Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 7 episodes · as Panelist · as Team Leader

  • The Jaquie Brown Diaries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 14 episodes · as Serita Singh

  • Eagle vs Shark(2007)

    as Burger Girl Customer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Samoan Wedding(2006)

    as Tania

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Insider's Guide To Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 13 episodes · Actor

  • Perfect Strangers(2003)

    as Andrea

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Teach You a Lesson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Narrator

  • Xena: Warrior Princess(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Tyro

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all shows

  • Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 34 titles, 33 of them dated from 1995 to 2026; peak year 2019.

Biggest box office

Samoan Wedding (2006)

$3M worldwide

Highest rated

Slow West (2015)

Midcredits 77th

Most popular right now

Deadloch (2023)

Film career

19952026

Peak 2019 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting31 of 34: 27 only acting, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score56thDirecting5 of 34: 3 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting3 of 34: 0 only writing, 3 with another role

34 titles, 4 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s8 · acting2010s16 · 15 acting · 3 crew2020s8 · 7 acting · 3 crew

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 9 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Madeleine Sami's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 16 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Lesbian Space Princess (2025)

92nd percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Madeleine Sami's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 78 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles31–72 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles67–89 · median 76 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles40–60 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 51 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Madeleine Sami work with?

People who share at least 2 of Madeleine Sami's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; James Griffin shares the most, 2.

Writers

Actors

Producers

Mixed roles