You’ve been in LA filming House for a while now, what do you miss the most about Australia? I think mostly family, friends, BBQ Shapes, and smaller crowds when surfing. Oh, and Aussie rules. Go the Doggies.
Hugh Laurie (whose father was a doctor) once said he felt guilty for being paid more to become a fake version of his own father. You have doctors in your family, have you ever felt the same way? Hmmm. Perhaps, although a doctor’s job is more secure over the long run. Ours only lasts a few years and then we could get periods of unemployment, so it’s about saving up for any potential dry spells.
On a lighter note… Australia has some wicked slang words. What’s your favourite/s? F***ing Pearla! Crikey, anklebiters.
If you could go back to Australia right this second, where would you go (note – your family and friends would be wherever you chose)? I’d go to the Great Barrier Reef. I’ve never seen it, sad to say.
In 2007, you were voted the 33rd Most Beautiful Person by People magazine. Do you think that was a fair ranking? Is that 33rd in the world, 33rd amongst entertainment people, or 33rd in the States…? Either way, they’ve never seen me after a big night out.
Neighbours is where It all started for you. If you hadn’t got the part of Billy Kennedy, would you still have followed an acting career? Probably not, I may have done medicine, my whole family did it, or I may have gone into music instead. Maybe musical composition for film.
You were on the show for four years, have you kept in contact with any of the people you worked with? Actually it ended up being five years in total. Yeah, I’m still friends with some of the crew, and the occasional cast member passes through LA every now and then, it’s good to catch up with people you haven’t seen in a while.
Have they ever asked you to come back? Yep, I did the 20 year anniversary special, and have been asked back for various weddings, funerals, but the schedule hasn’t permitted.
Along with acting in House, you play the violin in Band From TV (a music group who play gigs for charity). How did you get involved in that? Hugh Laurie played with them originally, and the band played our Christmas wrap party a couple years back. I played it, they loved having the fiddle in the mix and I ended up joining officially this year.
Have you ever smashed a violin – either in a rock star-esqe move or out of frustration? Nearly out of frustration, of course! I’ve always thought about getting a cheap fiddle to smash as a gag, maybe I will next gig. It’d work a treat for “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”.
And now time for some tricky little numbers. House or flat? House.
ACDC or ABBA? Acca dacca.
Hungry Jacks or Burger King? Ha! Neither. Fergburger (Queenstown, best in the world).
Susan and Karl Kennedy (from Neighbours) are stuck in a burning building and you can only save one of them. Which one would it be? Cruel question. Whichever one agrees first to come up to Queensland to visit myself, Anne, and the baby. Don’t I have a baby now?
