The world according to Garp: Westside star’s

Westside actor Sophie Hambleton talks about working with a four-legged friend named Garp. Sarah Nealon reports.

four-legged friend.

Actors are advised to never work with animals or children. But Westside’s Sophie Hambleton baulks at the idea, having had a lot of fun sharing scenes with a dog.

This season, Hambleton’s character Carol has been busy with a new addition to her household – a dog gifted to her by husband, Phineas (Xavier Horan).

The pet pug is named Barry after crooner Barry Manilow, one of Carol’s favourite singers. In real life, the animal belongs to a Westside crew member and is often on set.

“The dog’s real name is Garp,” says Hambleton, who juggles a casting job with acting work.

“I’m pretty sure it was his first acting job. He was so good. He actually responds to te reo commands. That was quite cool.

“He was so funny because I would arrive in the morning and pop in and see him and say ‘Hi’ and he was not too bothered.

“Then I would go and get into Carol with the make-up, the big hair and the costume and I’d speak to him as Carol and he would be way more engaged. There was something about the big blonde hair. I think he loves Carol. I think he likes blondes. He was gorgeous.

“I just made sure that when we were on set together, and he needed to sit or stay put, that I was the boss and he would just listen to me rather than the 40 other people on set who were all talking as well. But he was so good.”

Fans of the show will know that Carol and Phineas want a child but are struggling to conceive.

Despite Barry’s arrival, Carol still desperately wants a baby. But rather than seek medical help she hopes to conceive naturally – with or without her husband present.

Hambleton says, “The dog is like a makeshift baby I guess to fill that gaping hole she still has in her life.”