Now, Keisha was an actress, filming a movie. And that whale she was riding was actually just a model of a whale tied to a boat, which was pulling them through the water. But those waves were very real, and Keisha and the film crew were miles from shore. Holding on while plunging underwater was extremely tricky, and yet, Keisha was excited to have this chance to shine.

She felt like she was diving into her ancestral Māori roots, gathering strength from all the people who’d come before her, and shouting, Here I am!

Ready to do it again? asked the director.

Keisha nodded. She was more than ready. She was born for this role.

Aaaaand… Action!

A fairy tale podcast about the real-life rebel women who inspire us.

On this episode, KEISHA CASTLE-HUGHES, a young Māori actress who is excited to celebrate her heritage and her mind on and off-screen.

One day, when Keisha was eleven years old, a casting director who was looking for a young Māori girl to star in a new movie, came to observe her class. The movie had to do with the legend of Paikea, who was said to have led the Māori people from the Pacific Islands to New Zealand, on the back of a whale. To Keisha, that sounded terrifying and amazing all at once.

When the director interviewed some of the children, Keisha was unapologetically herself — smart, outgoing, and funny.

“Hi Keisha, it’s nice to meet you. Tell me, can you ride a bike?”

Keisha smiled and answered quickly, “Yes!”

“Can you smile underwater?”

“Sure!” I mean, she hadn’t ever tried, but how hard could it be?

The filmmakers met with over ten thousand kids, and in the end, Keisha won the lead role in a new movie called Whale Rider.

Keisha felt so honored to play Pai, who was written as an ancestor of Paikea, the original whale-rider from Māori legend. In the film, Pai brought her modern Māori community together, at a time when many were struggling to feel a deep connection to their ancestry. The film showed the strength of women and young girls and introduced people all around the world to Māori traditions. And it became a massive success.

Keisha was so convincing in her role, that at thirteen, she became the youngest person to ever be nominated for an Academy Award! That’s the biggest acting award there is!

Keisha’s life changed after that. She had to do hundreds of interviews and walk down red carpets in fancy gowns. She went from being a pretty normal kid, to someone who was taking limo rides, and staying in luxury hotels all the way across the world in Los Angeles. All of it was a dream come true, but at the same time, there was a big part of Keisha that just wanted to be back home, hanging out with her friends and going to school.

People would say to her, “You’ve done it! You’re in the prime of your career!” But she was only thirteen! How could this be her prime already?

Keisha also felt like everyone expected her to be perfect, and nobody’s perfect. Growing up is about learning, trying new things and often making mistakes. She felt torn between two different personas. There was Keisha Castle-Hughes, Academy Award Nominated Actress. And then there was just… Keisha. A girl who worried a lot, and would get sad sometimes, without even knowing the reasons. A girl who missed her friends, and would talk to them on the phone for hours when she was away. A girl who just wanted to feel normal.

Eventually, Keisha was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She learned that her brain was structured in a different way from other people’s. Highs felt higher, and lows felt lower, and that wasn’t Keisha’s fault, it was just how she was built! Sometimes Keisha felt hopelessly sad, without any specific reasons that she could explain. And sometimes she felt like she had unlimited momentum and could do anything! Keisha never knew which way she was going to feel, or why she was feeling that way, which was really confusing and upsetting.

For Keisha, understanding her diagnosis and talking about it made all the difference. Now that she knew why she felt the way she did, she could learn about things that might help her feel more balanced and centered.

Keisha started going to therapy, eating healthier foods, and exercising more. It took some time, but these things helped her a lot. She began to feel like Keisha-the-actress and Keisha-the-human could co-exist. They were both important parts of her. She’d never be perfect, or exactly who anyone else expected her to be, but she was honest, open, and truly herself.

Keisha is still acting today. She also works hard to use her fame for good, fighting against climate change, and talking publicly about mental health.

The biggest thing Keisha wants everyone to know is that each individual is unique and amazing.

As she says, “We need to talk more and worry less about what other people think.”

If you’re lucky enough to have a brain that works differently than other people’s, celebrate it! Because we all are riding waves of unpredictability and adventure, bursting into the air with a new chance to smile. Just like Paikea and Keisha, we are drawing from the strength of our past and present to greet a new and magnificent future.

This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls. It’s based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.

This episode was narrated by ME, Jo Holley. It was produced and directed by Haley Dapkus, with sound design and mixing by Mumble Media.

The story was written by Emily McMahon Wattez and edited by Abby Sher. Fact checking by Joe Rhatigan. Our executive producers were Joy Smith and Jes Wolfe.

Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi.

A special thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team, who make this podcast possible! Until next time, staaaay rebel!