Four former Shortland Street stars gathered at a Power Rangers fan convention and reflected on growing up on New Zealand television, with the reunion reported by the NZ Herald on October 25, 2026. Katrina Devine, Kat Browne, Sally Martin and Anna Hutchison, who all appeared on the long-running TVNZ 2 soap before joining the Power Rangers franchise, met fans and compared notes on fame, motherhood and the mental toll of life in the spotlight.
The women played some of Ferndale's most memorable characters. Devine was teen terror Minnie Crozier, Browne played bad girl Jenna Small, Martin starred as nurse Nicole Miller until last year, and Hutchison played troubled teen Delphi Greenlaw.
Growing up on screen, and the cost of the spotlight
Devine was just 13 when she started on Shortland Street, and over the next eight years she grew up in front of the nation.
It's difficult going through puberty on TV in front of everyone, she told the NZ Herald, adding that her relationship with co-star Blair Strang, who played ambulance driver Rangi Heremaia, made things even more intense.
I hadn't dated anyone before I started going out with Blair, she said. It's not like school, where you date classmates. Our relationship was fully in the limelight and people thought they knew us because of our characters.
Browne, 50, who struggled with poor mental health while dating co-star Jack Campbell, said the intensity of public attention was hard.
That's what you sign up for and it's mostly incredible, but sometimes it's scary, she said.
She also recalled being mistaken for a real-life drug dealer in Auckland, an encounter that turned aggressive before she realised the man was serious.
Life after Ferndale: Power Rangers, theatre and a 24-scene day
Sally Martin, 41, only recently left the soap and is still winding down from the workload.
On my biggest day, I had 24 scenes, she said.
Devine quickly landed roles in Xena and theatre after leaving Shortland Street, before joining the Power Rangers franchise. Hutchison, 40, who went on to star in Underbelly and The Cabin in the Woods, said fans still show love for the superhero series decades later.
You don't realise when you're filming that, years later, you'll still be getting this awesome love for it, she said.
Browne said she had no idea how important the franchise would become.
I wasn't aware of the whole Rangerverse and how deeply important it is to generations of families, she said.
Remembering Pua Magasiva
The reunion carried a bittersweet note. Martin said she is often handed gifts by fans for her late Power Rangers and Shortland Street co-star Pua Magasiva, who died in 2019.
One girl crocheted Pua's helmet and asked me to give it to his daughter, Martin said. It's really touching.
She also welcomed the strong presence of women at the conventions, saying that being surrounded by other actresses was a welcome change from a male-heavy filming season.
Power Ranger mums and the school run
The four actors, all now mothers, shared stories about their children's reactions to their famous roles.
Devine, who is based in Canada, said her 9-year-old son Jason proudly tells classmates his mum is a Power Ranger, but they don't believe him.
He thinks it's super-cool, but his little friends are like, 'Yeah, sure', she said.
Browne, who has three sons aged 19, 17 and 15, said a school tussle involving her eldest ended instantly when he declared his mum was a Power Ranger.
Anna Hutchison's 4-year-old son Vinnie is so excited by her fight scenes that she has to remind him they only fight baddies. Her daughter Joanie, six, once told teachers her mum was a firefighter, food scientist and Power Ranger, all roles Hutchison has played.
The teacher pulled me aside and said, 'Joanie's got a wonderful imagination', Hutchison recalled. I said, 'I've done all those things, but I was acting.
What's next for the four stars
Browne has just wrapped filming on Queenstown, an upcoming Netflix series starring The Diplomat's Rufus Sewell. Hutchison is busy with her podcast, 100% Ready With Anna Hutchison And Eliza Taylor. Martin is working for Māori performing arts festival Te Matatini while preparing to return to acting, and Devine is doing the same after a stint as a kindergarten teacher.
It's a lot of auditioning, Devine said of working as an actor in Canada. In New Zealand, I got everything I auditioned for, so when I didn't in Canada, it was ego-deflating. But everyone needs that.
FAQ
Which Shortland Street stars reunited at the Power Rangers convention?
Katrina Devine, Kat Browne, Sally Martin and Anna Hutchison, who all appeared on Shortland Street before joining the Power Rangers franchise.
Where were the interviews conducted?
At a Power Rangers fan convention, with the reunion reported by the NZ Herald on October 25, 2026.
What is Anna Hutchison doing now?
She co-hosts the podcast 100% Ready With Anna Hutchison And Eliza Taylor and is based in Los Angeles.