Ray Meagher
“Home and Away is still here after 30 years – that’s pretty special!”
In 30 years on Home
and Away, I haven’t had a single sick day, and I haven’t been late for work once,” declares actor Ray Meagher – aka Alf – as we ask him what advice he would give to young actors joining the soap in its 30th year on air. “I don’t see that as any great achievement, though, I just see that as part of the job. I try to lead by example – so I hope my work ethic rubs off on new people coming in.”
Any fresh faces in Summer Bay would do well to take their lead from Ray. He’s been in the show since it first aired on Aussie screens in 1988, and is the only original cast member still present. So who better to chat to as the first episodes of
Home and Away’s anniversary year hit UK screens this week…
How do you feel about Home
and Away reaching such a huge landmark, Ray?
It’s pretty fantastic, isn’t it? I mean, it’s nothing compared to your soaps in the UK – Eastenders is a bit ahead of us, and of course the Street has been going for years and years. As a nation, you love your soaps more than we do! But Neighbours is still going, and here we are at 30 years – I think that’s pretty special.
Did you ever think you’d end up on the show for three decades?
Not for a second! I remember when I was asked to do the pilot – I was a jobbing actor at the time, doing miniseries and
movies, and I thought it might be nice to have a couple of weeks’ work. Then when they said it was going to series, those of us who were a little older and more cynical thought, ‘Oh that’s good, we’ll get about three months’ work out of that’. And here I am 30 years later!
What’s kept you at Home and Away all these years?
The show has given me some really great opportunities, such as pantomime in the UK and being asked to do Priscilla Queen
Of The Desert in the West End. That wasn’t because I’m a fantastic musical theatre performer – it was because of the popularity of Home and Away. But really the biggest reason I’ve been here for so long is the camaraderie among the cast and crew – they’re a wonderful bunch of people.
What’s been your most challenging storyline so far?
The post-traumatic stress disorder storyline [in 2015] was very rewarding for me as an actor. The reaction from the community was fantastic, and I had a lot of ex-servicemen come up and ask if I could thank everybody involved. It would be people that you just wouldn’t expect to watch our show. I was amazed.
Which stars from the show’s past would you most like to see back?
There are a million of them! People like my original family – Judy Nunn [Ailsa], Cornelia Frances [Morag], Fiona Spence [Celia] and Justine Clarke [the first Roo] – of course, I love working with Georgie Parker, who plays Roo now, so that could make things a bit crowded! But there are so many more people besides those.
You’ve seen a lot of youngsters come through Home and Away who’ve gone
on to do really well…
Oh yes, people like Isla Fisher [Shannon Reed] and Ryan Kwanten [Vinnie Patterson] were great to have around. And I saw Chris Hemsworth [Kim Hyde] at the tennis – it was lovely to catch up.
What advice would you give to newcomers joining the show?
Turn up knowing what you’re doing – but don’t think you know it all when you arrive, because you probably don’t. And don’t be frightened to ask for help, or even if you just want to know where the toilet is! Everyone is very willing to help out.
There are a million excast mates I’d love to see back