Petmal Petelo is of Samoan descent, and her ancestral roots stem from the villages of Saleaula and Samatau. A graduate of the Pacific Institute of Performing Arts (2017). She has been involved in numerous productions with different independent companies both on and off stage/screen since graduating, and received an Outstanding Newcomer Award at the Auckland Theatre Awards in 2018. Petmal is an original member of the ‘Wild Dogs Under My Skirt’ cast and crew which toured New York in 2019.
Petmal had the opportunity to work as Anapela’s assistant, as well as part of the ensemble for Things That Matter by Gary Henderson at the ASB Waterfront Theatre in 2023. She also made her TV screen acting debut on one of the episodes of ‘Teine Sā: The Ancient Ones’ premiered on Prime TV in 2021. In 2024, Petmal appeared on ‘The Boy, The Queen And Everything in Between’ by Ramon Te Wake, a brand new TV show streaming in Aotearoa New Zealand on TVNZ+ and on NITV Australia. Earlier this year, Petmal worked as an ‘Acting Coach’ on a short film that was filmed in Samoa with Cadness Street from Aotearoa NZ, inspired by street vendors in Samoa. In 2022 and 2024, Petmal received funding from CNZ to further develop a physical theatre work she wants put up in the near future.
