Here we go again
As Leah prepares to take her fourth walk down the aisle on Home And Away, Ada Nicodemou tells why this wedding is her favourite one. Melenie Parkes reports.
Leah (Ada Nicodemou) and Justin (James Stewart) have endured a harrowing ordeal over the past several months on Home And Away.
The pair were kidnapped by cult Vita Nova and left to die in a warehouse. Trying to escape, Justin was gravely injured but made a recovery in hospital, only for the cult to target him again.
After that terrifying experience, Leah struggled with her mental health and suffered a paranoid delusion which led her to threaten Justin’s life.
While she spent time at a clinic to recover from her trauma, Leah was afraid she might still be a risk to Justin and it seemed like time might be up for one of the Bay’s favourite couples.
But not even a run-in with a sinister sect and a near-death experience can keep them apart.
Long overdue a bit of happiness, they are finally ready to marry.
But given Leah’s fragile mental state, could she be moving too fast?
Ada Nicodemou doesn’t think so and viewers who have followed the couple’s long-running romance are sure to agree.
“I think she is ready because it has been a long time coming,” says Nicodemou. “And for a long time she didn’t feel like it was necessary for them to get married.
“They loved each other, they were living together, they were very committed to each other. So why get married? But no, she really does want to get married and loves him. And I think fourth time is the charm.”
As Nicodemou mentions, this is Leah’s fourth wedding. So how does this walk down the aisle compare with Leah’s past ceremonies, when she wed Vinnie Patterson (Ryan
Kwanten) in 2001, Dan Baker (Tim Campbell) in 2005 and Zac MacGuire (Charlie Clausen) in 2015.
“I think it’s the best one because it’s focused on the wedding.
“It’s not one of those big Home And Away weddings where it’s all about every other storyline that’s going on and there’s a big cliffhanger. It is actually just about Justin and Leah getting married and how much they love each other and just celebrating that and so it was my favourite.
“The community gets together, it’s full of love and it’s just beautiful.
“I think it’ll be really nice for the viewers. It’s shot in a beautiful location. It just looks incredible.”
Nicodemou, who has been with the soap since 2000, describes her character’s wedding dress as “timeless and elegant” but says shooting scenes in it “for days and days and days upon end” meant that it wasn’t the most comfortable of costumes.
“And it was really hot, especially the first day we started shooting. It felt like 45 degrees and there were flies everywhere.
“All of that sort of really glamorous stuff that you’re not going to see on screen,” she laughs.
Weddings are a great way to bring back former cast members and viewers will get to see Matt Little, who plays Leah’s son VJ, Penny McNamee, who played Tori Morgan, and Annabel Wolfe, who plays Justin’s daughter Ava.
“I think it’s really good for the viewers to have some returning cast come back because it makes more sense. It’s kind of weird when you get married on a show and you know that the character has no family there. It doesn’t really make sense so I think it’s nice that we do.”
While the wedding goes without a hitch, Nicodemou promises there are “still some surprises” along the way.
“But they’re all lovely surprises, there’s nothing bad that happens. It’s a celebration of love. And I think with all the drama around, in the world and on the show, I think it’s nice that it’s just joyous.”
As well as keeping busy with her role on Home And Away, Nicodemou has written her first series of books for children.
Mia Megastar is loosely based on her own experiences growing up in a Greek family and explores how she became an actor.
“It’s a really cute book about friendship and culture and community. There’s some acting tips in there, there’s some Greek recipes that kids can make.
“Hopefully it inspires 8-12 year olds to follow their dreams.”
The Matrix star says she was set on the path to become a performer after seeing a stage production of The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice, starring Magda Szubanski and Amanda Muggleton.
“I was so inspired seeing those actors up on stage. I’d never seen a play before. And I just remember going, ‘I’ve got to do that one day’.”