Josh McKenzie first garnered widespread recognition and critical acclaim in 2011, when he received the Most Outstanding Debut Performance award at the AFTA's, New Zealand's most prestigious film and television honors. He played the lead role of teenager Marc Snell, a go-karting prodigy struggling with the guilt of putting his younger brother into a coma. This performance earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film at the same ceremony.
Following the completion of his high school studies, McKenzie was accepted into the renowned Toi Whakaari acting academy, New Zealand's most intensive and respected drama institution. This esteemed school has produced many notable alumni, including actors Cliff Curtis, Robyn Malcolm, and Kerry Fox.
McKenzie then showcased his talent on stage by starring as the leading man, Lysander, in an abstract and modernized production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, presented by the Auckland Theatre Company. He continued to diversify his roles, effectively exploring the entire spectrum of the New Zealand film and television scene, which had become a favored location for international productions.
During this period, McKenzie appeared in various roles, including turns in renowned fantasy series such as Legend of the Seeker, The Shannara Chronicles, and Power Rangers. He also starred in drama and comedy series like Girl vs. Boy, Go Girls, and Nothing Trivial, as well as leading performances in various indie and commercial features, including The Kick and Tangiwai.
In 2013, McKenzie joined the cast of New Zealand's longest-running and most-watched nightly TV drama, Shortland Street. He has also demonstrated his skills as a writer and director, co-writing, starring in, and directing the web-series The Transplants in 2014. This dry comedy series satirizes an actor's move to Hollywood and the comical banality behind show-business, a reality often concealed by the media.
In early 2015, McKenzie won the highly contested role of John Jnr. Truebridge in Filthy Rich, New Zealand's highest-budgeted television production to date. He portrays a playboy with sociopathic tendencies and a host of addictions.
