Erana James
New Zealand actress (born 1999)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Erana James (born 17 February 1999) is a New Zealand actress of Māori descent. She is known for her roles as Toni Shalifoe in the Amazon Prime Video series The Wilds (2020–2022) and Curly in the FX series Alien: Earth (2025–present). Her iwi are Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and Waikato-Tainui.
Early life and Education
James was born in Whangārei, New Zealand, where she grew up on a farm.[1] She moved to Wellington at the age of ten and attended Wellington Girls' College.[2] At fourteen she began studying acting at Rata Studios, a performing arts school in Wellington run by director Miranda Harcourt.[3]
She later studied at Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, where she pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Te Reo Māori alongside Sociology.[2][4] She has spoken about her choice to study the language, saying the preservation of Te Reo Māori is important to her as a Māori woman. She now lives in Melbourne, Australia.[1]
Career
James made an uncredited appearance in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 2013 while still at school. Her first significant role came in 2017 when, while still in high school, she was cast as the lead in the New Zealand fantasy film The Changeover, directed by Miranda Harcourt and Stuart McKenzie and based on the 1984 novel by Margaret Mahy. Harcourt had first encountered James through her acting programme at Rata Studios.[3] The film also starred Timothy Spall, Lucy Lawless, Melanie Lynskey, and Nicholas Galitzine.
Also in 2017, James appeared in the New Zealand children's comedy web series Lucy Lewis Can't Lose and in the Stan series Golden Boy (2019).
James gained international recognition in 2020 with the role of Toni Shalifoe, a fierce and guarded young woman, in the Amazon Prime Video survival drama The Wilds, created by Sarah Streicher. The series, which follows a group of teenage girls stranded on a desert island, ran for two seasons before being cancelled in 2022.[5] In a 2021 interview, she described filming the show in New Zealand as an "amazing" experience, noting that being surrounded by familiar people helped her navigate her first major American production.[6]
In 2023, she appeared in the Australian drama series Bad Behaviour and the New Zealand film Uproar, the latter alongside Julian Dennison.[7]
In 2024, James starred as Nellie in We Were Dangerous, the debut feature film of director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu, which had its world premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition at the 2024 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival.[8] Set in 1950s New Zealand, the film follows three young women at a reform school for girls. The film also lists Taika Waititi among its producers.[8] Collider called it a "funny and frightening coming-of-age tale" led by James.[9]
In 2025, James joined the main cast of the FX science fiction series Alien: Earth, created by Noah Hawley and set in the Alien universe, playing Curly — a synthetic human who is part of a group of child consciousnesses placed in adult bodies by a fictional corporation.[10] The series premiered on 12 August 2025 and was renewed for a second season, with production scheduled to begin in London in 2026.[11] Also in 2025, she appeared in two music videos for Australian musician Vance Joy, Divine Feelings and Fascination in the Dark.[12]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Lake-towner | Uncredited |
| 2017 | The Changeover | Laura Chant | Based on the 1984 novel by Margaret Mahy |
| 2017 | Southland's Home | Nell | Short film; main role |
| 2020 | Hot Mother | Sofia | Short film |
| 2023 | Uproar | Samantha | |
| 2024 | We Were Dangerous | Nellie | World premiere, SXSW 2024 |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Sons of Liars | Bria | Main role |
| 2017 | Lucy Lewis Can't Lose | J'ess | Recurring role |
| 2019 | My Life Is Murder | Juliana Lloyd | Episodic role |
| 2019 | Golden Boy | Kahu | Main role, season 1 |
| 2019 | Playing for Keeps | Samira | Recurring role |
| 2020–2022 | The Wilds | Toni Shalifoe | Main role |
| 2023 | Bad Behaviour | Ronnie | Recurring role |
| 2025–present | Alien: Earth | Curly | Main role |