Before joining Neighbours in 2014, what had you previously been involved in?
Ah! Hmmmm. Lots of theatre in NZ. And some television. I’d shot a film called Housebound but it hadn’t come out yet. I was touring a solo show in peoples Living rooms. And planned to take it to Edinburgh the same year I started in neighbours. When I got the role of Naomi I said, I can only do it if they let me take 2 months off to go to Scotland with my show. They let me do that and it worked out great.
Side note. I’ve never felt more famous than being in the UK whilst also being on neighbours. It’s huge there!
What inspired you to pursue acting?
My mother is a dancer, and my father is a designer but with the gift of the gab. I often say I inherited my mother’s love of performing and my father’s love of words.
I joined a youth theatre company as a teenager and fell in love with acting. There was never a question after that about what I wanted to do with my life.
What do you remember about your Neighbours audition?
I did the first tape in my backyard in Sydney. You send a lot of tapes as an actor and often never hear back.
The role was initially a 3 year character contract, so when I got a recall, I freaked out and told my agent I couldn’t be considered because I couldn’t commit to 3 years. She told neighbours and they agreed to 18 months. Then I flew to Melbourne for the recall. I remember meeting Colette there and being quiet overwhelmed by the whole world of that studio. But confident. The rest of history.
Ah! Hmmmm. Lots of theatre in NZ. And some television. I’d shot a film called Housebound but it hadn’t come out yet. I was touring a solo show in peoples Living rooms. And planned to take it to Edinburgh the same year I started in neighbours. When I got the role of Naomi I said, I can only do it if they let me take 2 months off to go to Scotland with my show. They let me do that and it worked out great.
Side note. I’ve never felt more famous than being in the UK whilst also being on neighbours. It’s huge there!
What inspired you to pursue acting?
My mother is a dancer, and my father is a designer but with the gift of the gab. I often say I inherited my mother’s love of performing and my father’s love of words.
I joined a youth theatre company as a teenager and fell in love with acting. There was never a question after that about what I wanted to do with my life.
What do you remember about your Neighbours audition?
I did the first tape in my backyard in Sydney. You send a lot of tapes as an actor and often never hear back.
The role was initially a 3 year character contract, so when I got a recall, I freaked out and told my agent I couldn’t be considered because I couldn’t commit to 3 years. She told neighbours and they agreed to 18 months. Then I flew to Melbourne for the recall. I remember meeting Colette there and being quiet overwhelmed by the whole world of that studio. But confident. The rest of history.
Naomi Canning arrived in Erinsborough in 2014 as Sheila’s sassy daughter. What was it like coming into the show at this time and joining the already-established Canning family?
I LOVE my Canning family. As soon as I arrived on set, Colette took me under her wing and was quite literally my on-set mum.
My biggest concern was that my character was coming in to attempt to shake up one of the most beloved neighbours relationships, Toadie and Sonya. I thought everyone would hate me! Yell at me in the street! But that didn’t happen. Everyone seemed to love Naomi the more shit she stirred.
You actually had a part in helping to establish Naomi’s style when it came to costume and make-up. How important was it to get Naomi’s look right, and how hard was it trying to perfect her style?
This was hard, because she had to be a little trashy and trampy, but she was a mistress. The clothes you buy yourself to look sexy are a little different to the clothes another person buys you to look sexy, like a trophy. Gosh, she’s so different to me!
Are there any similarities between you and Naomi?
Our upbeat energies are similar. But she is much more brutal than me. She loves the finer things in life, I’m an op shop gal myself.
An early storyline for Naomi saw her working for Toadie and developing feelings for him, ultimately trying to drive a wedge between him and wife Sonya, which resulted in Sonya eventually slapping Naomi. What was it like to work alongside Ryan Moloney and Eve Morey, and coming between such an iconic and beloved couple?
As i said, i was nervous about how this was going to be received by the fans. But they loved it.
Ryan and Eve are AMAZING. Seriously. Truly. Gorgeous, solid, generous, lovely actors. I loved working with them both!!
I LOVE my Canning family. As soon as I arrived on set, Colette took me under her wing and was quite literally my on-set mum.
My biggest concern was that my character was coming in to attempt to shake up one of the most beloved neighbours relationships, Toadie and Sonya. I thought everyone would hate me! Yell at me in the street! But that didn’t happen. Everyone seemed to love Naomi the more shit she stirred.
You actually had a part in helping to establish Naomi’s style when it came to costume and make-up. How important was it to get Naomi’s look right, and how hard was it trying to perfect her style?
This was hard, because she had to be a little trashy and trampy, but she was a mistress. The clothes you buy yourself to look sexy are a little different to the clothes another person buys you to look sexy, like a trophy. Gosh, she’s so different to me!
Are there any similarities between you and Naomi?
Our upbeat energies are similar. But she is much more brutal than me. She loves the finer things in life, I’m an op shop gal myself.
An early storyline for Naomi saw her working for Toadie and developing feelings for him, ultimately trying to drive a wedge between him and wife Sonya, which resulted in Sonya eventually slapping Naomi. What was it like to work alongside Ryan Moloney and Eve Morey, and coming between such an iconic and beloved couple?
As i said, i was nervous about how this was going to be received by the fans. But they loved it.
Ryan and Eve are AMAZING. Seriously. Truly. Gorgeous, solid, generous, lovely actors. I loved working with them both!!
Naomi had a few romantic interests during her time in Erinsborough, including Josh Willis, Mark Brennan and Paul Robinson. What did you think of each of these relationships, and what was it like working with Harley Bonner, Scott McGregor, and Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis?
Pretty wide array of blokes, huh?! They’re all awesome guys. I laughed a lot with all of them! What more can you ask for.
Naomi departed Erinsborough in 2015 to pursue her dream job in the US. What led to your decision to leave the show and were you happy with Naomi’s exit?
It was the end of my contract and I was heavily pregnant when I left. They were very lovely to ask if I’d like to stay, but I wanted to have time as a new mum, but also value the flexibility to explore other characters and projects.
As part of the ongoing 35th anniversary celebrations in 2020, Naomi made her return to Erinsborough in the wake of Gary’s death. What was it like stepping back into the role and working with your on-screen family again?
So great! Naomi is just so fun! The speed of the shoot and all the crew. It’s a micro universe and it was lovely to step back into it. Meanwhile, a thing called Corona Virus was spreading around the world, so I was also happy to escape Melbourne and bunker down with my family after the shoot.
In classic Naomi fashion, it wasn’t long before Naomi found herself in a bit of a love triangle with Pierce and Chloe, which went so far as to the trio planning a threesome. How was it bringing this storyline to life alongside Tim Robards and April Rose Pengilly?
Haha! Oh gaaaawd. Look. In all honesty, I had to work hard to get the confidence to play that alongside those actors, who are outrageously gorgeous. They were lovely and supportive though, so it was fun. But also, sitting in the spa with them both, I couldn’t help but wonder how the hell I ended up there. Haha!
Pretty wide array of blokes, huh?! They’re all awesome guys. I laughed a lot with all of them! What more can you ask for.
Naomi departed Erinsborough in 2015 to pursue her dream job in the US. What led to your decision to leave the show and were you happy with Naomi’s exit?
It was the end of my contract and I was heavily pregnant when I left. They were very lovely to ask if I’d like to stay, but I wanted to have time as a new mum, but also value the flexibility to explore other characters and projects.
As part of the ongoing 35th anniversary celebrations in 2020, Naomi made her return to Erinsborough in the wake of Gary’s death. What was it like stepping back into the role and working with your on-screen family again?
So great! Naomi is just so fun! The speed of the shoot and all the crew. It’s a micro universe and it was lovely to step back into it. Meanwhile, a thing called Corona Virus was spreading around the world, so I was also happy to escape Melbourne and bunker down with my family after the shoot.
In classic Naomi fashion, it wasn’t long before Naomi found herself in a bit of a love triangle with Pierce and Chloe, which went so far as to the trio planning a threesome. How was it bringing this storyline to life alongside Tim Robards and April Rose Pengilly?
Haha! Oh gaaaawd. Look. In all honesty, I had to work hard to get the confidence to play that alongside those actors, who are outrageously gorgeous. They were lovely and supportive though, so it was fun. But also, sitting in the spa with them both, I couldn’t help but wonder how the hell I ended up there. Haha!
How much had the show changed during your time away from Ramsay Street?
Still the same. It really is a micro universe. Same meat, different gravy. And that’s what people love about it. It’s comfort food.
What are some memorable moments, both in front of and behind the camera?
I once spent about a month trying to get a banana in as many scenes as I could. Not to the detriment of the scene. It was just a little in-joke for myself to keep things fun and fresh. Keep an eye out on reruns around the Mark Brennan storyline.
Are there any cast members you wished you could have worked with more?
Chris Milligan aka Kyle Canning is a great actor. When I came back in 2020, I did lots more with him. I’d love to work more alongside him.
Finally, for a show that nearly didn’t make its first anniversary, it’s amazing to see it almost hit 9000 episodes. What do you think has been the secret to the 37 year success of Neighbours?
They’ve had an amazing run! Like I said earlier, Neighbours is comfort food. It’s like playing dolls and make believe. I mean that with love! It’s like cracking open a dolls house or Lego land and meeting all the characters. Erinsborough is a special fantasy land, that has been in peoples life, in some cases, since before they were born. It’s very special that it can mean so much to so many.
Still the same. It really is a micro universe. Same meat, different gravy. And that’s what people love about it. It’s comfort food.
What are some memorable moments, both in front of and behind the camera?
I once spent about a month trying to get a banana in as many scenes as I could. Not to the detriment of the scene. It was just a little in-joke for myself to keep things fun and fresh. Keep an eye out on reruns around the Mark Brennan storyline.
Are there any cast members you wished you could have worked with more?
Chris Milligan aka Kyle Canning is a great actor. When I came back in 2020, I did lots more with him. I’d love to work more alongside him.
Finally, for a show that nearly didn’t make its first anniversary, it’s amazing to see it almost hit 9000 episodes. What do you think has been the secret to the 37 year success of Neighbours?
They’ve had an amazing run! Like I said earlier, Neighbours is comfort food. It’s like playing dolls and make believe. I mean that with love! It’s like cracking open a dolls house or Lego land and meeting all the characters. Erinsborough is a special fantasy land, that has been in peoples life, in some cases, since before they were born. It’s very special that it can mean so much to so many.
Interviewed March 2022