| Can you give
us a little background on your acting work before Home and
Away? |
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Compared to some actors, I was a bit of
a late bloomer. I wasn't serious about a career until I
was about 22, although I’d done a few jobs before this.
As far as gigs go, my TV Tome profile is pretty accurate.
Some weirdo runs the site though... Krazy Karl!!!
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| How did you
get the part as Dan Baker on the show? |
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I actually auditioned for the role of Peter
Baker. After the final call backs (Ada was reading opposite
us), they eventually rang to say they would offer me his
brother Dan. Knowing my recent luck at auditions I thought
'great, a weeks work as a guestie to compensate'. Was quite
happy to learn he would be a series regular.
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| Many people
haven't taken too well to Dan's character, considering him
very bland. Why do you think this is? |
|
 Umm,
not really sure how to answer this one. To be honest, I
haven't heard many people describe him as bland, apart from
this site (but then maybe other people are too scared to
say that to me personally!!!). The bland may come from the
fact that Dan's on screen introduction to the Bay has focused
primarily on his newly formed relationship with Leah. There
hasn't been much focus on his life and character developments
occurring off screen. Because the Dan/Leah relationship
was quite quick to develop, it was important that the writers
focus a lot of time on this development. I have enjoyed
the way it has developed. Both characters come from dysfunctional
marriages, but have found a peace with each others circumstances.
And one of the things I love about Dan is that he doesn't
buy into the drama of situations too much, which can sometimes
happen in this kind of genre (well he does over react a
bit with his brother, but hey, he's human too). There are
some more intimate and interesting stories in his life coming
up, so please hang in there... I think he has a great integrity,
without creating a lot of angst you could expect from a
serial drama (or some would say soapie!).
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| Without giving
anything away, do you like where the character of Dan has
thus far gone, in both the episodes that have been screened
and those yet to be screened? What is your favourite aspect
of Dan Baker, and your least favourite? |
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I really love this character. I love the
earthy qualities he has, and how he deals with situations
without too much fuss. And the fact that the Baker family
is new to the Bay, and the show, gives a great scope for
story developments, whether stemming from his history, or
future endeavours. Most favourite aspect would be his honesty.
Least favourite is his 6'2'' stature in love with a 5'1''
girl.
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| What has it
been like working with the cast of Home And Away, particularly
working with Ada? |
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Absolutely brilliant.... now the real answer.
They're all a pack of bastards!!! No seriously, I have worked
on a fair few productions before, but I could easily say
this has been the most relaxed and warmest bunch of cast
and crew members. This pleasantly surprised me seeing how
fast we shoot the episodes. But everyone knows their job,
and just gets in there and does it, while enjoying each
others company at the same time. Quite important in any
work environment. As for Ada, she is a beautiful actor.
She was very accommodating with me when I started, and her
relaxed and easy going approach to her work makes my job
that much easier. We get on really well, except if we've
been on set for a long period of time, then she starts to
pinch me!!.... But then again she's got girls germs!!!
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| Now that you
have been on the show for a few months, are people starting
to recognize you while you are out in public? How did you
feel when you were asked for your first autograph after
starting out on Home And Away? |
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Yes, in fact more than I thought. When
I did Big Sky and Snobs, there was very little publicity
involved, however this production has more than I've experienced
before. Being a bit older (in Summer Bay terms!) than some
other cast members, I wasn't sure how recognised I would
be, but it has really taken off. To be honest it doesn't
faze me really. I now understand how popular this show is,
across a broad spectrum of ages, so the attention is understandable.
And hey, who doesn't mind their ego stroked once in a while!
Signing autographs is fine; the weird thing was creating
one. I felt like such a doofus!
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| Did you ever
used to watch Home And Away before you got a job on the
show? If so, what does it feel like to become a part of
something that has been going so long, entering a fictional
town that has been around forever? |
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I used to watch it a bit back round the
Bobby and Carly days, as my sister had control of the remote
when Home and Away was on back then. But like my other male
friends back then, we all enjoyed watching it, but tried
not to show it. I do feel quite proud to be part of this
great production with its unique and admirable history.
It was strange when I got the job, because I had 2 months
to kill before I started, so I was watching the show to
familiarise myself. It was when the car went over the cliff
with Seb and co… Well I became addicted after that and kept
forgetting that I was about to enter this world as Dan.
That was bizarre yet exciting.
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| How do you
personally get yourself into character before filming a
scene? Do you just start to think like Dan Baker would,
or do you do something specific and notable? Also, when
you have a particularly emotional scene, what do you do
to make the emotion appear real? |
|
I haven't really been an actor who uses
any particular "methods" (mainly because I have never bothered
to study them). Over the years I have tended to base my
acting on instincts, rather than any formulae. But I can
never describe my process that makes any sense, so I won’t
even attempt it. More emotionally charged scenes; again
I use instinct,
and sometimes refer to specific parts of my life that may
be relevant, which apparently is a "method", so yes I must
be a hypocrite!
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| I read somewhere
that you do a Pantomime every year? How different is this
to acting on a television soap opera? Is this something
you will continue to do now that you are on Home And Away? |
|
 Very
different to TV/camera acting which is why I love it even
more. I have fallen into a lot of 'variety' type jobs in
the past and love the transition between different mediums
of performing. I love the technique required for TV, and
that for stage. I still work as an MC/Host since being on
the show, and hope to do some Panto work in England in the
coming years.... It's an original idea I came up with, because
soap actors from Australia have never done this before!!!!
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| Tell us a
bit about yourself, when you are away from the camera. Is
there any hobbies or interests that you keenly follow, or
any television shows that you frequently enjoy? |
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I tend to class myself as a bit of a nanna
in my social time. My DVD collection is fast expanding,
and my Thai and pizza takeaways are on speed dial. A good
movie, good dinner and good company are my ideal social
nights. I've sung in cover bands in the past, so any venue
that's loud and/or smokey is a bit of a turn off. TV wise,
I love the comedies. 'The Office' (my favourite series so
far), Kath and Kim, The Simpsons (the Fox 8 version, not
the 7pm Channel 10 version!!) to name a few.
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| Assuming "The
Powers That Be" want to keep you on indefinitely, do you
see Home And Away as a long term thing (ie more than 1 or
2 years) or something that is just a stepping stone towards
a bigger future? Would you like to one day try to crack
Hollywood? |
|
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started
on the show, but I'm loving my time on it so far, so who
knows what the future holds. My goal at this point in time
would be to continue working on Australian dramas. I have
no desire to do the "Hollywood" thing; LA didn't really
appeal as a place to live when I visited once. However if
they dangle the big
money carrot, then it's the best city in the world!!! No
really I love the Australian lifestyle too much to give
it in and start again in a new country. Plus I'd prefer
to tell an Australian story. |
