Robbie and Pua Magasiva: Pro-Gay Kiwi Superstuds

The Samoan-born brothers Robbie and Pua Magasiva have been making a splash in New Zealand, due to their spectacular physiques and comedic talent.  They belonged to the Naked Samoans comedy team, and they have starred together in Power Rangers: Ninja Storm, Auckland Daze, the soap Shortland Street.  

Their most famous movie role is the buddy comedy Sione's Wedding, aka Samoan Wedding (2006).  Pua (left) plays Sione, who is getting married, and Robbie one of his bffs, all barred from attending until they "man up" by getting girlfriends.

Robbie, the eldest (born in 1970), has played several buddy-bonding roles, including Stickmen (2001), about an underground pool tournament,

Not to mention several gay positive roles, such as head stripper Adam Lima in the tv series The Strip (2002-03), which included gay and drag queen characters.














He had a homophobic moment when he complained that his "least memorable role" was Air Force Two Down, aka In Her Line of Fire (2006), because it was for "gay audiences."  It wasn't, although there were lesbian characters.

And a joke in Sione's 2: Unfinished Business (2012) had gay viewers upset:

One of the character's girlfriends has hired a personal trainer, but it's ok because he's gay.  Michael (Robbie) replies, “All girls tell their guys their personal trainers are gay”. Apprised that the trainer’s name is Marcel, Michael says, “Okay, that does sound pretty gay.”

Not nearly as homophobic as standard American buddy-humor.

But younger brother Pua (born in 1980) is aggressively gay-friendly.  He participated in the anti-bullying "Stop the Hate" campaign sponsored by the Rotorua Daily Post, and he played a gay character on stage in Tarell McCraney's The Brothers Size, about two Louisiana brothers, the younger, Oshoosi (Pua), just released from prison along with his male lover.

He also appeared in an Auckland stage production of Robert Lord's comedy Well Hung. 

In addition to his ongoing role as a male nurse who takes off his shirt incessantly on Shortland Street.