Luciane Buchanan attends Hawaii International Film Festival (Image: GETTY)
Netflix’s The Night Agent is back, and Rose Larkin, played by Luciane Buchanan, is once again teaming up with Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) after he disappears during his latest mission. The series begins with Rose in therapy, grappling with the traumatic events of the first season.
Luciane Buchanan, who convincingly adopts an American accent for the show, was born in July 1993, making her 31 years old. However, the actress hails from Auckland, New Zealand.
Viewers have been taken aback upon hearing her real accent during interviews where she discusses her heritage. Buchanan co-wrote a Tongan short film titled Lea Tupu’anga Mother Tongue, which was selected for Sundance – one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals.
The narrative delves into a young woman’s quest to reconnect with her Tongan roots. Speaking to the press, Luciane said: “Language is the theme of the entire short…it is a symbol.”
She has personally grappled with not being able to speak the Tongan language, saying: “It was very cathartic for me writing it. I have kind of gotten to the space of acceptance where this is a life long journey. It is not going to be fixed in a year.”
Luciane Buchanan attends Gold House Hosts 2024 Inaugural Gold Gala (Image: GETTY)
“Everyone is on their own journey whether it is Te Reo or Tongan. There are so many factors as to why we do not have those language skills.”
Her film was chosen from a staggering 17,000 submissions to be showcased at Sundance, a festival known for launching the careers of some of the world’s most renowned directors.
In Lea Tupu’anga, her character deceives about her proficiency in the Tongan language to secure a job. When the truth emerges, she is forced to find a way to communicate or jeopardise her patient’s life.
She revealed to TP Plus about her heritage and the challenges she encountered during her youth, stating: “It wasn’t until I got into my early 20s that I realised I couldn’t speak to my Grandma. It was really sad and really hard.”
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Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin in The Night Agent (Image: NETFLIX)
“We grew up in Herne Bay, cos my Grandma still lived there. Mum was always busy working she’s a crazy worker so she didn’t really teach us as kids.”
“It was just not a thing that was at the forefront. We would do Tongan dance but it was just a thing on the side, it wasn’t something that we always did.”
After graduating with a degree in Drama and Psychology from the University of Auckland in 2017, she went on to star in The Blue Rose and Filthy Rich.