Before appearing on Neighbours, what sort of acting work had you done?
I started acting at the age of 8. My first job was a film called All Good Things Going with my brother. I have been lucky enough to be in work pretty much all my life.
What inspired you to pursue acting?
I love to dance and the school I trained at had drama classes too, so I started that & loved it.
You arrived on the show in 2008 as Samantha Fitzgerald. What was it like to join the cast at that time?
It was fun. I knew a lot of the actors already, so it was a warm welcome.
Are there are similarities between you and Samantha?
No not really. (Thankfully! haha)
I started acting at the age of 8. My first job was a film called All Good Things Going with my brother. I have been lucky enough to be in work pretty much all my life.
What inspired you to pursue acting?
I love to dance and the school I trained at had drama classes too, so I started that & loved it.
You arrived on the show in 2008 as Samantha Fitzgerald. What was it like to join the cast at that time?
It was fun. I knew a lot of the actors already, so it was a warm welcome.
Are there are similarities between you and Samantha?
No not really. (Thankfully! haha)
What was it like working with Kym Valentine and Brett Tucker?
They were both great. My storyline centred around the two of them, so we became close.
You also worked alongside Stefan Dennis. What was it like working with an original cast member?
I've known Stefan for about 20 years. We worked together on the pilot of The Flying Doctors when I was 16 and have been friends ever since.
Were there any storylines or scenes that you particularly enjoyed, or disliked, filming?
I would call my character and storyline very challenging, so I enjoyed that. I'd rather play complex, difficult characters than just standing in the cafe serving coffees.
Samantha suffered from Bipolar, what did you think about portraying a character with such a disorder?
I loved that aspect of it. I thought the writers and producers did a great job with keeping the details correct. My brother has Bipolar, so I was able to turn to him for advice, and the production team were really open to changing things around if we needed to, just to keep it as realistic as possible.
They were both great. My storyline centred around the two of them, so we became close.
You also worked alongside Stefan Dennis. What was it like working with an original cast member?
I've known Stefan for about 20 years. We worked together on the pilot of The Flying Doctors when I was 16 and have been friends ever since.
Were there any storylines or scenes that you particularly enjoyed, or disliked, filming?
I would call my character and storyline very challenging, so I enjoyed that. I'd rather play complex, difficult characters than just standing in the cafe serving coffees.
Samantha suffered from Bipolar, what did you think about portraying a character with such a disorder?
I loved that aspect of it. I thought the writers and producers did a great job with keeping the details correct. My brother has Bipolar, so I was able to turn to him for advice, and the production team were really open to changing things around if we needed to, just to keep it as realistic as possible.
You left four years ago, what have you done since moving away from Ramsay Street?
I had another baby, so that has kept me on my toes! I am also patron and core trainer at Film and Television Studio International, so I do a lot of teaching these days and love watching students progress and go on to do great work, both here and overseas. I've done a few guest spots on some show here, and worked on a feature film called Partrick, with Rachel Griffiths and Charles Dance.
How much input did you have into your storylines? Is there anything you would have changed about the character or her story?
I was lucky enough that they were open to it being a collaborative effort on the Bipolar stuff, but other than that I didn't have any say on the rest of it. I probably would have liked to do a little more - I wasn't ready to leave, I was having too much fun!
Were you a fan of Neighbours before joining the cast? Do you watch the show these days?
I had watched if on and off over the years as different friends of mine came in and out of the show. My younger sister played Gemma Ramsay many years ago, so I watched it then. I always tune in here and there.
Your sister Beth appeared as Gemma Ramsay in 1990-91. Did she give you any advice about working on the show?
Oh I just mentioned that! Haha. No, she didn't give any advice.
I had another baby, so that has kept me on my toes! I am also patron and core trainer at Film and Television Studio International, so I do a lot of teaching these days and love watching students progress and go on to do great work, both here and overseas. I've done a few guest spots on some show here, and worked on a feature film called Partrick, with Rachel Griffiths and Charles Dance.
How much input did you have into your storylines? Is there anything you would have changed about the character or her story?
I was lucky enough that they were open to it being a collaborative effort on the Bipolar stuff, but other than that I didn't have any say on the rest of it. I probably would have liked to do a little more - I wasn't ready to leave, I was having too much fun!
Were you a fan of Neighbours before joining the cast? Do you watch the show these days?
I had watched if on and off over the years as different friends of mine came in and out of the show. My younger sister played Gemma Ramsay many years ago, so I watched it then. I always tune in here and there.
Your sister Beth appeared as Gemma Ramsay in 1990-91. Did she give you any advice about working on the show?
Oh I just mentioned that! Haha. No, she didn't give any advice.
Samantha returned to get revenge on the
Kennedy's at Steph's trial in 2010. Would you ever consider returning to the
show? If so, how would you like your character to return?
If Sam ever came back, I would like to explore the Bipolar storyline again. In the end, during Steph's trial they made her more of a tough nut, which I thought wasn't very likeable. I'd love to see Sam happy.
Are there any cast members you wished to of worked more with?
All of them!
Are you still in touch with any of your former co-stars?
Yes, I am friends with a lot of them. My best friend of 25 years, Rebekah Elmaloglou, joined the show a year ago and moved down to Melbourne for it, so now we get to hang out all the time.
Finally, for a show that nearly didn't make its first anniversary, it's amazing to see it approach the 30th anniversary. What do you think is the secret of the ongoing success of Neighbours?
I think everyone can relate to the show as it's so family orientated. Typical Aussie storylines etc. People love a simple format, continuity and the familiar faces of the long standing cast members. Nothing too complicated.
If Sam ever came back, I would like to explore the Bipolar storyline again. In the end, during Steph's trial they made her more of a tough nut, which I thought wasn't very likeable. I'd love to see Sam happy.
Are there any cast members you wished to of worked more with?
All of them!
Are you still in touch with any of your former co-stars?
Yes, I am friends with a lot of them. My best friend of 25 years, Rebekah Elmaloglou, joined the show a year ago and moved down to Melbourne for it, so now we get to hang out all the time.
Finally, for a show that nearly didn't make its first anniversary, it's amazing to see it approach the 30th anniversary. What do you think is the secret of the ongoing success of Neighbours?
I think everyone can relate to the show as it's so family orientated. Typical Aussie storylines etc. People love a simple format, continuity and the familiar faces of the long standing cast members. Nothing too complicated.
Interviewed December 2014