The Most Influential Actors from New Zealand

New data has revealed the most influential celebrities in film and television from New Zealand.   

The research analyzed Instagram data across influencer marketing calculators to establish which New Zealand actors have the most influential social media presence. The study examined Instagram followers, engagement rates and price per sponsored post.  

The most influential celebrity in film and television from New Zealand is KJ Apa. Best known for his role as Archie in the Netflix series Riverdale, the Auckland-born actor has 18 million followers, an engagement rate of 1.6%, and can earn up to a huge £45,681 per sponsored post on Instagram. 

Shirley Setia comes in second place. The Indo-Kiwi singer and actress, who rose to fame after uploading cover songs on YouTube and has starred in the Hidi-language action comedy Nikamma (2022), can earn up to £21,531 per sponsored post on Instagram. This is due to her engagement rate of 3.2% and 8.2 million followers. 

In third place is Daniel Gillies, the New Zealand-Canadian film producer and actor best known for his role as Elijah in the hit television series The Originals (2013-2018). He can earn up to £12,087 per sponsored post due to an engagement rate of 6.9% and a following of 4.6 million.  

In fourth place is the Raukokore-born actor and director, Taika Waititi, the brains behind What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and Jojo Rabbit (2019). With 3 million followers and an engagement rate of 4.3%, Taika can earn up to £7,881 per sponsored post on Instagram.

Karl Urban comes in fifth place. The Wellington-born actor, with roles in Thor: Ragnarök (2017) and The Boys (2019-present), has 2.8 million Instagram followers, an engagement rate of 6.9%, and can earn up to £7,361 per sponsored post on the social media app, making him the fifth most influential person to come from the island.