Setareki Wainiqolo

Setareki Wainiqolo was born in Fiji on the Island of Viti Levu to Karalaini, a Womens Rights and Green Peace Activist and Actress and Taniela a Fisherman and Carpenter. He is an only child and is of both Fijian and Tongan descent. He's immediate family still reside in Fiji but members of his extended family now live in Tonga, Samoa, Australia and the States. As a child Setareki would accompany his mother to dress rehearsals and performances of hers mostly held at the only theater space in the Capital of Suva, The Fiji Arts Club. It was those earliest memories of his mother on stage playing alongside her cast-mates performing classical plays like Shakespeare and musicals that planted the seed of acting and performance in his heart even though his chance to finally perform would not arrive until much later in his life. While in Fiji Setareki attended International Primary School Suva and then later transferred to Marist Brothers Primary School Suva. He went on to attend Marist Brothers Secondary School but left for the USA half way through his Form 5 year. Arriving in Northern California Setareki completed the remainder of his studies at Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa graduating after 2 years. Setareki went on to receive a Bachelors in Theater Studies: Performance Emphasis from California Lutheran University after switching majors in his sophomore year from Cinema and Multimedia Design. While at Cal Lutheran he studied under the guidance of Professors Michael Arndt and Ken Gardner also performing in shows and projects they directed. Setareki credits them as having greatly influenced his craft especially in classical theater plays and both strongly encouraging him to commit to Acting as a lifetime passion. Setareki also briefly studied at Moorpark Community College where he completed his college core requirements and earned himself an Associates Degree focusing on Arts and Humanities. It was while attending Moorpark College that Setareki made his earliest strides in performance. Working with the college's black-box theater alongside fellow students as well as their main-stage shows where he learned and acted under the tutelage of teachers/directors John Loprieno and Kathy Lewis. Setareki performed in Summer Stock Theater at both Theatricum Botanicum alongside the Ellen Geer and the Geer Family and Kingsmen Shakespeare Company in California cementing his desire to be a professional actor and giving him a stronger sense of performance on a larger scale. After completing his bachelors he went on to pursue grad studies in Acting at the Yale School of Drama performing in many of the schools theater productions as well as The Yale Repertory Theater in his third year. He later moved to New York City to pursue work as an actor both on stage and on camera. Author: Seta Wainiqolo