How did this role come about?
I was in Melbourne and had a couple of projects floating around. There was one I was shooting in New Zealand, which had to go into a forced hiatus, and a couple of international roles I was waiting to hear on. I woke up one morning to an offer on the table. They put it to me and it was something I thought I could get my teeth into. Then it was a case of fly up here to Sydney, meet everyone and get stuck into it.
When did you begin?
I had a little bit of prep time and started in March. But then, after day two of shooting, we all got locked down for a couple of months. It was a bit of a rocky start to my journey on Home and Away, so I kind of had two starting dates – before lockdown and after lockdown.
So what’s it like filming in the middle of a pandemic?
What we do is very intimate. You form fast friendships and work closely with a cast and crew, so it’s taken a little bit of getting used to – but, like anything, you adapt. It can be quite hard when you’re new to a production and all of the crew are behind masks. It’s hard to know who you’re talking to at times! But that’s just something you deal with.
You have two gorgeous sons. Tell us about them...
Eden is 17 and Taika is nine.
Could they one day follow in your showbiz footsteps?
Taika is pretty animated. He’s followed me and did a couple of voice-over jobs a little while ago, and he’s pretty theatrical. But I’m not sure. All I want for these kids is for them to be happy, whatever path they choose to take.
Are you still in touch with the Blue Heelers cast?
We’re all in some kind of contact, but Jane [Allsop] and I are in very regular contact. We’re very close friends and all our kids know each other.
How are you enjoying being part of the Home and Away cast?
The core people – Penny, Jimmy [Stewart] and Ada [Nicodemou] – I’d never worked with before and it’s just a treat. They’re such wonderful people and fabulous actors. I feel like I’ve walked into something that’s really lovely.
How would you describe Dr Christian green?
He’s incredibly confident in his ability. Any time you get that, there’s a sensibility and trust that you earn. But on the flip side, you can also put a couple of noses out of joint.
What can you tell us about a romance between Christian and Tori?
It takes both of them by surprise. The forming of that romance and that connection has been a lot of fun to play. Penny is an absolute joy to work with – I couldn’t have asked for better.
