The last time Keisha Castle-Hughes, the Oscar-nominated actress of “Whale Rider,” was in the news, she was in the middle of a publicity storm. Right after filming “The Nativity Story” (directed by Catherine Hardwicke of “Twilight”) as the Virgin Mary, the media reported news of her pregnancy with long-term boyfriend, Brad Hull. The irony that the young actress (then 16) was making headlines for her un-Virgin Mary-like teen pregnancy was not lost.

Now 19, the actress is ready to make her Hollywood comeback. Speaking to The Los Angeles Times Castle-Hughes said, “it took a long time to be OK with who I was and what I do, and to share it with someone else.”

The paper also reports she is being considered for various films and that a move to Los Angeles from New Zealand, with fiance Brad and baby Felicity-Amore, may be possible in the future. “I count myself very lucky that all those doors were unlocked, I just had to open them.”

Castle-Hughes can be seen as Celeste in “The Vintner’s Luck” later this year. The film is based on a novel by Elizabeth Knox and directed by Niki Caro of “Whale Rider” fame.