As far as TV characters go, there are few as endearing as Summer Bay’s Roo Stewart. And that has much to do with the actress who has brought Alf’s (Ray Meagher) beloved daughter to life for the past 10 years – the inimitable Georgie Parker.
WATCH BELOW: Georgie Parker and Cameron Daddo find out facts about each other
Also clear, too, is that portraying Roo – originally played by Justine Clarke – is as much of a delight as ever for the former All Saints and A Country Practice star.
“I adore working with Ray, Emily (Symons), Lukas (Radovich) and Belinda (Giblin),” says Georgie, adding with a smile, “It’s a very happy Stewart household!”
To celebrate her special Home and Away anniversary, Georgie takes a look back at her top storylines on the show…
Coming home, 2010
“My first scenes in the Bay as Roo!
“What I remember most was being on the Home and Away set and working predominantly with Ray. It was really fun to stretch my legs on a new set with actors I hadn’t worked with before. At the same time, in many ways, it felt like I was coming home.”
Getting hitched, 2012
“Roo and Harvey’s (Marcus Graham) wedding. Oh, they were a funny pair!
“They had a very vibrant, feisty and rebellious relationship. And Marcus was great fun to work with. We had a lot of fun with all of our scenes.”
Great co-star, 2013-2016
“I loved filming with Kassandra Clementi, who played Maddy – she was just glorious to work with. She’s over in America now doing a lot of work. She’s a lovely girl – such a wonderful, interesting person.”
Liar, liar, 2015
“I loved working with Myles Pollard, who played James. While Myles is just terrific and so much fun, his character was a serial liar.
“So after another disastrous relationship for Roo, I thought, ‘Please don’t give her anyone else!’ I just wanted her to make a wise choice with love.”
Event TV, 2016
“The Caravan Park explosion, when Jake Speer’s character Oscar died, was a big one. I adore Jake and did a play with him not long after he left the show.
“But these big Home and Away events are always really fun to film. The repercussions are felt throughout the whole Bay, playing out for a substantial amount of time. So they do feel exciting – they’re event TV.”
Sad love story, 2017
“Remember when Roo was with her younger man, James, and was blackmailed into leaving him?
“Tim Ross, who played James, was utterly delightful to work with and he made it so easy to play that story. But it all ended in a sad way again for Roo.”
Hello, Ryder, 2017
“Meeting Ryder (Lukas Radovich) for the first time was great. Working with Lukas has been an endless delight. He’s such an asset to the show. And, of course, Ryder coming to live with the Stewarts is all about family, and that’s always a good thing.”
Sinkhole drama, 2018
“The sinkhole episode, when Roo found out her mother was alive and well, was another huge one. At the time, we called it the ‘Pizza Oven’ set as we were literally filming in a semicircular hole and Ray was lying under a pretend piece of concrete.
“But if you’re going to be stuck down a sinkhole, it may as well be with Ray! And it certainly made for great drama.”
Wedding day bliss, 2020
“The wedding of Alf and Martha – Roo’s parents – was beautiful. It’s been really lovely for the audience to get to see Alf in a mature, intimate relationship with the mother of his daughter. And Belinda is so great at playing Martha – she’s just gorgeous.”
Spirited scene, 2020
“I loved filming the seance recently with Emily, which brought Cameron (Daddo) back to the Bay, this time as Owen. It’s so great to have Cameron back on the show – he’s a champion. And Emily and I went to town with this scene.”
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