5 MINUTES Tania WITH Nolan
GET TO KNOW THE NEW ZEALAND ACTRESS TURNED SUMMER BAY LOCAL
Did you grow up watching Home And Away? I certainly did – I couldn’t get enough! Who were your favourite characters? Alf (Ray Meagher) and Marilyn (Emily Symons) were my favourites for sure! It’s surreal to work alongside them now. What was it like filming the explosion scenes? It was definitely intense, but so much fun. The art department did an incredible job with the post-explosion carnage and fire. In this epic backdrop, we shot fast and furiously under the slick guidance of our director Danny Raco – getting beautiful-looking shots and performances that were more action film than drama! Who have you become close to on the show? Honestly, everyone on the show is like one big family. But of course those you spend more time with on screen, you naturally have the opportunity to become closer with. Jackson Heywood, Pia Miller, George Mason – my kindred kiwi, Kestie Morassi and my Sydney roommate Caleb Alloway, who plays Will Zannis, have become particularly dear to my heart. What has been your favourite storyline? Ooof, that’s a tough one! Don’t make me choose (laughs). I’ve loved each and every one, as I’ve relished exploring the different and often contradicting sides to our Scar. It was, however, a real honour to live her storyline of losing her son, Max. I saw this as a real responsibility to get the grief right and to get it honest. And a highlight for you? I’ve got to say one of my highlights was when Scarlett impersonated Crocodile Dundee while presenting Alf Stewart with a new fishing knife, and said: ‘That’s not a knife, that’s a knife.’ Given that I not only grew up watching both of these legends, I then got to quote one while I was in a scene with another. Talk about surreal!
‘Alf and Marilyn were my favourites [as a kid]. It’s surreal to work alongside them now’