Two of the stars of the new series Creamerie remember the first time they saw Asian representation on New Zealand TV, their earliest acting experiences and more in the latest episode of FIRST.

When it comes to iconic New Zealand TV moments, Michelle Ang singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ on McDonald’s Young Entertainers seems to have slipped through the cracks. But at least one person remembers this performance vividly. For Flat3’s Ally Xue, it was the first time she experienced Asian representation on New Zealand TV.

For her Creamerie castmate Perlina Lau, meanwhile, Lynette Forday’s portrayal of doctor Grace Kwan on Shortland Street stands out as a watershed moment. Imagine how much both of their young minds would have been blown if a show like Creamerie had been around back then. The series stars three Asian women – Xue, Lau and JJ Fong – in lead roles.

It’s the fourth series the trio has made together as FLAT3 Productions, after Flat3, Friday Night Bites and Unboxed. Filming her first episode of Flat3 was the first time Xue says she felt like she was playing a fully three-dimensional character. “You walk around the world feeling like you’re a human being, but when you play these parts where you just go on and say a few lines in an accent, you’re just like, well, I guess this is how the mainstream media sees me.”

With shows like Creamerie lifting the bar, hopefully that won’t always be the case.

Follow FIRST on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast platform.