Gabriel Luke Reid is a New Zealand actor, director, screenwriter and producer working in television, film and theatre. His doctoral thesis examines the impact of digital technologies on film production.
As a grandson of Mercury Theatre founder Professor John Reid, Reid's interest in the performing arts was nurtured from an early age. He worked as a child actor on stage and television alongside such stalwarts as Deryck Guyler, George Henare and Billy T. James. At Auckland Grammar he was president of the Senior Film Society and a member of Bel Canto choir, led by David Hamilton. At sixteen he directed a season of Godspell and, years later, his work as a theatre director was garnering excellent reviews. Of his production of Amadeus, The New Zealand Herald wrote: "The multi-talented Mr Reid...directs with scrupulous care and refreshing confidence." Reviewing his production of The Crucible, The Strip magazine wrote: "Gabriel Reid is a clever, tightly disciplined, diligent director, with a bold and clear eye for design. This totally satisfying production coaxed new subtleties from the script — which could become far too dramatic for its own good in the hands of a less questioning director — yet diluted none of its power. It was craft and precision that fused this production into an example which could inspire even more experienced directors." As vice-chair of Theatre Workshop, Reid oversaw productions of Salome, The Revenger's Tragedy and As You Like It, which featured Brown Nation star Rajeev Varma, writer-director Toa Fraser and actor-director Oliver Driver. Soon after, he was invited to join the staff of Auckland Metropolitan Opera for the company's inaugural production, Die Fledermaus starring Dame Malvina Major at the newly opened Aotea Centre. Over a period of years he worked on numerous opera seasons. These productions featured such renowned artists as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Donald McIntyre. Subsequently, Reid was an assistant director and production assistant on notable television and film projects, including ', Bridge to Terabithia, The Chronicles of Narnia and Kiwi Christmas. As an actor he has appeared in television series and films, including Shortland Street, Street Legal, Jackson's Wharf, Outrageous Fortune, We're Here To Help and '. His 2004 short film, As Dreams Are Made On, was invited to screen at international festivals, including Rhode Island International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and the New Zealand International Film Festival. His 2015 short film, Every Moment, won four awards at Tropfest N.Z., including Best Film and Best Actress. Reid and his writing partner, Maile Daugherty, were awarded Best Short Film Screenplay at the New Zealand Writers Guild Awards, the SWANZ. The short was nominated in three categories at the New Zealand Film Awards. In 2019 the New Zealand Film Commission made Reid a recipient of Catalyst He Kauahi; a substantial grant facilitating feature film development via the production of high-end, narrative shorts. This is being applied to a new work, Impossible, written and directed by Reid, starring Paul Norell, currently in post-production at Park Road Post. In 1999 Reid founded Pageant Films. The company has produced several thousand promos and numerous industry-acclaimed campaigns for New Zealand's largest television broadcasters; TVNZ, MediaWorks and their subsidiary networks. Reid's work has earned nominations at PromaxBDA Australia, winning Gold in 2010, and has featured some of New Zealand's most notable artists, including Temuera Morrison, Karl Urban, Robyn Malcolm, Angela Bloomfield and Oscar Kightley. Pageant is developing a slate of feature film projects including adaptations of classic works, the drama Division and the romantic dramedy Misspelt for which the producing team includes Andrew Adamson and Mark Johnson. In 2019 he co-founded Fusion Films with producer Belindalee Hope. Dr Reid sits on the boards of Film Auckland and the Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand, formally known as the Screen Directors Guild of New Zealand. From 2016 to 2018 he served as vice present of DEGNZ. He is a member of Actors Equity and the New Zealand Writers Guild. On occasion he has represented the New Zealand screen industry on matters of public interest.
