1. The character has taken on a life of her own. “Bella feels very real to me now – so much so, that I feel I know what she would wear or say,” Courtney says.
2. Practice really does make perfect. “Learning lines becomes so much easier once you start speaking like the character and getting to know her well.”
3. The power of the cuppa. “I seem to think about coffee all the time,” laughs Courtney. “I used to drink half to one cup a day and now I drink two or three.”
4. Pre-dawn call times have become ‘normal’. “5am seems to be my starting-the-day time. I’ve definitely become an early-morning person, and I love that.”
5. The beauty of the Summer Bay sunrise. “I’ve seen more sunrises since I joined the show than in my entire life. We arrive half-asleep and are just mesmerised by the sunrise. It really is crazy how gorgeous Palm Beach is – and that’s our workplace.”
6. The cast truly do get along like a house on fire. “People don’t realise how relaxed it is on set,” says Courtney. “We’re often told to be quiet as we can be massive chatterboxes.”
7. The biggest on-set joker is…Tim Franklin (Colby). “It’s annoying how funny Tim is,” laughs Courtney. “He’s forever impersonating random people and people he makes up.”
8. Art can become life. “Being an actor can be quite an emotional journey,” says Courtney. “You do have to imagine and produce the emotions of your character.”
9. Filming out of sequence can be tricky. “When you have 10 scenes in one day it can be quite hard to keep track of what you’re doing,” says Courtney. “But it keeps you switched on.”
10. The Diner food is as good as it looks. “Everything you see us eating is delicious,” says Courtney. “We all love to snack on it – and can end up getting quite full!”
