Savae KJ Apa ready to take on Samoan chiefs’ responsibilities

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA – 01 SEPTEMBER 2022: After being conferred the Samoan chiefly title, Sāvae by the Moataa village and chiefs this morning, Riverdale star cast, Keneti James Apa vowed that he was ready to take on his obligations as a Samoan chief to serve his family, village and people.

Being bestowed a chiefly title comes with expected responsibilities to family, village and country but he was certain of the new chapter he has taken.

“O le a ou tautua i lo tatou nuu, ma lo tatou aiga, faamanuia mai le Atua,” Sāvae Keneti’s told the gathering when he accepted his cup of ‘ava.

“It’s an amazing experience,” he said after the bestowment ceremony.

The actor’s Samoan heritage has always been prominent at home in New Zealand and it was something he proudly told the world.

He was born and raised in New Zealand to Tupa’i Keneti Apa from Moata’a and his New Zealander mother Tessa Apa who spent part of her childhood in Samoa when her father was the country’s Chief Justice in the 1970s.

Tupa’i is the son of the late Tupa’i Se Apa, a lawyer and a former Attorney General, and travelled often as many of the Samoan diaspora to Samoa until the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the movie star and new Savae title holder, is not short of famous names from Moata’a village. He shares the title with a close relative, former All Black Savae La’auli Sir Michael Niko Jones, a New Zealand former rugby union player and coach who was named by Rugby World magazine as the third best All Black of the 20th century.

But in the movies, Savae KJ Apa has other international icons of Samoan heritage such as Seiuli Dwayne Johnson who travelled the same journey in the mid 1980’s and was bestowed a Samoan chiefly title by the country’s Head of State at the time, the late Malietoa Tanumafili 11.

The 25-year-old Savae KJ Apa is also a musician who has received various awards including a Saturn Award, and nominations for an MTV Movie and TV Awards, two People’s Choice awards and two teen Choice Awards.

In film, Apa has also starred in A Dog’s Purpose (2017), The Hate U Give (2018), I Still Believe (2020) and in 2021, he released his debut solo album, the indie folk-rock album Clocks, which received attention on Spotify and Tiktok.