Ray&lukas GONE FISHIN’
Kicking back on a warm Palm Beach day, having a fish with Australian acting royalty Ray Meagher, Home And Away newcomer Lukas Radovich is loving life. Straight out of drama school, the Blue Mountains local landed his first-ever role as Ryder, who also happens to be grandson of Ray’s character Alf.
‘It’s my first-ever role,’ Lukas gushes. ‘My first day on set, Ryder is caught stealing money and has to run away. It was pretty terrifying and so overwhelming.’
Working on Home And Away may mean furiously learning lines and early wake-up calls, but it also means being showered with love and adoration from the show’s avid and loyal fans.
‘I’ve never experienced it before so I don’t know what’s going to happen,’ Lukas says. ‘I’ve already got a few new Instagram messages because all the diehard fans knew I was coming. I even gave out an autograph the other day on set!’
One important piece of information many fans out there will be dying to know: is Lukas dating anyone?
‘I’m happily single at the moment,’ he laughs.
With nearly 30 years experience on Home And Away, Ray always reaches out to welcome new cast members.
‘I don’t give anyone advice, but I try to say when they arrive: “Welcome! If I can help you with anything, please don’t hesitate to come and have a chat,”’ he reveals. ‘But in terms of advice, I don’t go around saying: “This is how you do it.” Most of them are there because they can do it!’
And as Ray explains, he has been thoroughly impressed with Lukas during their time working together.
‘Lukas is a wonderful young actor and he’s trained over at WAAPA [Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts] and they turn out some terrific people, and he’s a perfect example of that,’ the 73-year-old stalwart shares. ‘He’s a nice, unassuming kid who doesn’t take himself too seriously, but takes the work really seriously. He’s terrific. But he did have the temerity to refer to me as grumps – not grandad, not grumpy – just grumps!’
As well as time with Ray, Lukas, 21, shares the screen with the younger cast members, playing 16-year-old Ryder.
‘It’s cool working with the younger cast members like Anna Cocquerel and Olivia Deeble, and learning off them. They’re so free because they don’t have training, so they’re just doing their own thing,’ Lukas explains. ‘But it is a little bit difficult and weird being in a classroom full of extras who are actually 15.
‘Brittany [Santariga], who plays Jennifer, is one of my good mates and she’s always in the school scenes with me. We look at each other and are like: “What are we doing? We’re 21!” It’s quite funny in that regard.’