“Nothing makes me happier in life than seeing someone work hard for something and get it,” he says.
Steve Peacocke rose to prominence playing Darryl "Brax" Braxton, the Summer Bay bad boy with a heart of gold. Since leaving the show, the actor has worked alongside Tina Fey and Margot Robbie in 2016 film Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and the same year portrayed a nurse in Me Before You.
Back in Oz, he’s scored roles in Channel Seven drama Wanted, and more recently Network Ten’s Five Bedrooms and his latest gig in the ABC comedy Squinters. He also has a role in the upcoming ABC drama Les Norton.
A steady stream of work has enabled Stephen and wife, former H&A star Bridgette Sneddon, to spent half their year in Australia and the other half in LA. Or, as Stephen puts it, “to chase the endless summer”.
Sounds like they’re living the dream, right? But surely, he and Bridgette must miss friends and family when they’re abroad?
“Whenever we’re together it’s home,” Stephen says. “I think the key to life is enjoying wherever you are. We have been lucky because it’s been a real adventure.”
His scenes for Squinters were filmed over just three days in a studio in LA. In Season 2 of the comedy, Stephen plays a character called Brett, who is tasked with driving new boss Tina (US actress Kristen Schaal). After shooting the lines as in the script, they were able to improvise a few takes. “It was like playing a really aggressive tennis player, just trying to bat things back and keep the ball in play,” Stephen says of ad-libbing lines with Kristen.
Next month, Stephen will appear in the Australian war film Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, as Lieutenant Adrian Roberts.
“It’s one of the roles I’m most proud of,” Stephen enthuses. “That level of selflessness and courage that the soldiers displayed, that’s the kind of story that people need to hear about.”
Now back in LA, Stephen is reading scripts and auditioning for roles, admitting he recently came close to landing a US role. Humble and laid-back, it’s hard to imagine him talking himself up to get ahead in Hollywood.
“Self-promotion is something I’ve never been all that good at it,” he laughs. “That’s what your agents are for. You can only be yourself.”
As for babies, Stephen says he and Bridgette, who married in 2014, have no immediate plans but are enjoying their “adventure” together.
He’s content to take each day as it comes and focus on work.“My parents said just concentrate on the here and now and try to do a good job and hopefully another job will come after that,” he says.
“That’s served me well so far.”
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