Born and raised in New Zealand, actress Peata Panoho first developed a taste for showbiz at 8 years old, performing as one of a select group of young dancers in the Imperial Russian Ballet Company's The Nutcracker.  
At the age of 12 she played flute in Beethoven's 'Emperor' Piano Concerto No.5 with the then Marlborough Youth Orchestra, and continued to perform in bands, orchestras & chamber groups around the South Island region until her acting & filmmaking careers took precedence in 2020.

Peata has trained in M. Chekhov acting technique under Elena Stejko, devising at Massive Theatre Company, and camera & horse stunts with the NZ Stunt School.

Her theatrical appearances include company in The Phantom of the Opera, Aladdin in Roger Hall's Aladdin and Tuptim in The King & I.
On-screen credits include Netflix's East of Eden, Lee Tamahori's The Convert, Maori Television series Kairakau and short film War Paint (currently streaming on Maori+).

Besides acting, Peata can be frequently found directing, writing or behind the camera as 1st AC/focus puller.  At last count her filmography included 2 feature films, 32 short films, 6 series for television/web and 6 music videos. Her vocals can also be heard on the studio albums of three different New Zealand music artists.