Ben Unwin
The Home And Away star remembered
Former castmate Kristy Wright led the tributes to Home And Away star Ben Unwin last week, after he died the day before his 42nd birthday.
“I’m completely lost for words… heartbroken and shattered,” she wrote. “‘I sit here, with tears... I miss you now that I know I will never see you again... I will forever regret not reaching out more,” wrote Kristy, who played Ben’s onscreen girlfriend on the hit TV show.
“You were one of the most talented people I know, one of the kindest, smartest and funniest. You were a rock star.
“I’m so sorry. I love you. RIP my old friend.”
Ben played Jesse Mcgregor on the soap between 1996 and 2000, and again between 2002 and 2005. Kristy, who played Chloe Richards between 1995
and 1999, recalled how Ben had encouraged scriptwriters to create an onscreen romance between them, after she had developed a crush on him.
“In 1992 I met you for the first time and immediately fell into a crazy school girl crush… We were kids with the same dream and pretty quickly we became friends... my crush disappeared but my love for you was just beginning. Years later we both found ourselves working on that little show [ Home And Away] and our friendship grew deeper. You harassed the writers to create a love story between our characters and when it finally happened we laughed our way through it and were just so happy to have the chance to work so closely with each other.”
After Ben left the show, he completed a law degree and worked as a solicitor in Newcastle. Police confirmed his death was not being treated as suspicious.
Many of Ben’s former Home And Away colleagues, including Ada Nicodemou and Kimberley Cooper, who played another love interest, Gypsy Smith, on the show, expressed their condolences on social media.
Ben’s friend, TV writer Dan Bennett, hinted that the star had been struggling in his personal life. “I’m so sad he felt there was no other way for him. Rest in peace, mate,” Dan tweeted. If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au
‘You were one of the most talented people I know’