Home And Away stars ‘WHY WE HAD TO QUIT’
Real-life lovebirds Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor discuss life after soap stardom
They may have arrived in Summer Bay separately, but Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor are departing as one. In an emotional announcement, the real-life couple, who play Ziggy Astoni and Dean
Thompson in Home And Away, have decided to leave the long-running drama. When we catch up with the actors to say goodbye, the weight of their decision has just begun to sink in. Sophie, who joined the show in 2017, reveals she and Patrick found leaving their characters behind “incredibly hard”, but they knew now was the right time.
“We have both done everything possible with our characters and it was time to start a new chapter,” says Sophie, 30. “It’s bittersweet and emotional, but we realise how lucky we are to have had such an incredible run.”
For Patrick, who came into the series in 2018, turning 30 last year was a significant milestone that confirmed he was ready to move on. “Sophie and I were 24 when we started on Home And Away,” he explains. “It’s a huge commitment and a massive chunk of my life. I felt I changed into six different people in the time we were there. There’s a lot of growth both as an actor and a person. It’s a great place to work, but I was ready.” After several conversations in their Sydney home, the devoted couple chose to uproot their lives and move overseas, marking a farewell to both Summer Bay and Australia. Sophie says, “You’ve got to take those chances when they come.”
The pair plan to base themselves in London and travel somewhere new in Europe every month. Whether they continue in showbiz remains to be seen. Patrick says, “We definitely want to keep acting, but we’re also happy to take a break.”
Sophie adds, “The statistic is that only a certain percentage of actors are living above the poverty line, so getting an acting job is tough. We realise how lucky we’ve been. It may not be easy to keep doing it, but we hope we can – that’s the dream.”
As for rumours of an impending marriage, Patrick confesses, “Weddings tend to be quite overwhelming and a lot of effort goes into them, so if there was a time and place, or we found ourselves in Vegas, it could potentially happen overnight.”
“But there are no plans at this stage!” Sophie laughs. “We’re just happy living our lives.”
On screen, her and Patrick’s characters recently became parents to a baby girl called Izzy, which caused Home And
Away fans to speculate they may be expecting in real life. Even Sophie’s relatives were taken in by the gossip.
She laughs, “One of my grandparents follows all the spoiler pages and when the baby storyline came out, she texted my mum to ask if I was having a baby and hadn’t told them! So my mum called and I had to say, ‘Mum, if I’m having a baby, I will tell you!’”
Patrick admits being in the public eye can be wearying at times, but incidents like these show just how much the TVNZ 2 drama means to fans. He says, “They have a real love of the show and are so invested in the characters.”
Sophie’s grateful for being gifted a “relatable, cool chick” in Ziggy. Reflecting on her first day on set, she says, “I remember not sleeping much the night before and we had to film 10 scenes. It was the most acting I’ve ever done in one go. I recall being handed scripts and someone doing my makeup – I thought I had to do my own! Then someone walked me to a trailer. It was the coolest thing ever.”
In turn, Patrick recalls acting alongside Kiwi star George Mason as one of the “River Boys” on his first day. He remembers, “I had to step out of a car with all these people
‘Mum, if I’m having a baby, I will tell you!’
standing around watching.
I was so nervous.”
Fast-forward to their final days on set and the nerves were replaced by emotion as they said goodbye to friends and colleagues. Sophie and Patrick admit they would’ve found it hard to walk away alone, but as they move on together, they’re thankful for the show that changed their lives on and off screen.
“It’s been the best part of my life,” Sophie enthuses. “I’ve learnt so much. Everyone who was involved allowed us to do the best job in the world. I’m so honoured.”
Patrick adds, “I was a bit overcome on the last day because Home And Away has been such a big part of my life.”
Would they ever return to Summer Bay? “Never say never!” Patrick laughs teasingly. “Who knows what the future could bring?”