Shorty stalker returns ... as Cher!
The TV stalker’ s back with a new obsession
It’s not often fans are excited to see a villain make a comeback on Shortland Street, but Tom Sainsbury’s character is definitely an exception.
The Kiwi comedian – best known for his Paula Bennett impersonations – has returned to the TVNZ 2 soap as Jason “Sexy Eyes” Fitzpatrick, but he’s not quite the same guy who terrorised dating doctors Finn Warner and Esther Simons!
“Jason has gone away for a year and had therapy to have his problems dealt to,” explains Tom, 35. “Now he’s on the meds and part of his transformation was changing his name from
Jason to Sebastian St John [pronounced “Sinjin”]. It’s perfectly pretentious. What a ridiculous name to choose, but it’s perfect for him.”
Filling in while Shorty’s receptionist Leanne Black holidays in Bali, Sebastian has a therapy parrot named Perspicacious on his shoulder, but it’s his Cher outfit that really turns heads.
Tom says the soap’s writers had planned his scenes months in advance to coincide with the pop icon’s Auckland gigs, explaining, “Sebastian’s been to both concerts in costume. It’s the day after and he’s just kept rocking the outfit. We went full-on Cher; I had everything,
including hours in the make-up chair!”
While Tom was hanging out to see Cher perform her classic “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” when he attended her concert, he suspects Sebastian would have a different favourite.
“It would be ‘Turn Back Time’ because obviously if he could go back, he would change the way he behaved,” tells Tom, adding that his Snapchat alter ego Paula would certainly be a Cher fan.
“Paula is a self-confessed Westie, and Westies have a real affinity with her because she’s into motorcycles, denim and leather.”
Although Tom describes
himself as a “dramatic actor”, he was chuffed to reprise his comic role for Shorty.
“Everyone’s so glamorous and beautiful on Shortland
Street, and here comes this slightly frumpy, awkward guy who screws everything up, which people can relate to,” says Tom.
However, there’s a happy plotline on the way for Sebastian, with Tom spilling he’s due for a little romance and some “good stalking”, although it’s not with his former crush Finn.
“But I’m sure if Finn showed interest, not that he would, it would all go out the window and Sebastian would be all over him 100%.”