Whether they were a goodun’ or a baddie, there’s no denying the shock of a key character being killed off any show – and for many Aussies, Home and Away tends to make one of the biggest impressions of all.
As the new season premiered for 2020 in late January, fans were horrified when beloved character Robbo was killed in a traumatic car accident.
So distressed were they to learn the husband of Jasmine was no more, that some even went so far as to create conspiracy theories that would ultimately mean the Summer Bay local would eventually come back from the dead (it is an Aussie soap after all…).
Yep, shock waves rock the majority of the country when these things happen – and interestingly, said waves rock right up into the territory of the cast themselves.
Death’s in Summer Bay are not uncommon, but boy do they shock the masses.
(Getty)Speaking in a candid new radio interview, Home and Away stalwart Ray Meagher, who is the face behind the formidable Alf Stewart on the show, has dished up some gossip that’s knocked us all for six, and his fellow cast mates, apparently.
Chatting to Hit105’s Stav, Abby and Matt, the Aussie actor revealed that even the actors themselves are often shocked to learn about their character’s impending deaths – because they’re not usually the first to find out.
Yep, Meagher confirmed that it’s usually the actor’s agent who is first to know about the character’s tragic snuff.
And in the instance that they aren’t told, cast members are merely left to find out when they read the script for the first time.
Ooft!
Ray Meagher, who portrays Alf on the show, has revealed the brutal way some cast members have discovered their character is about to be killed off.
(Getty)Ray elaborated on the circumstances he’s come across in his 32 years on the set, saying that some co-stars will see scripts and say, “Oh my god, I’m not in this!”
But the actor then assured listeners that it’s “normally done in a fair, ordinary manner.”
As for his own character, the presenters joked they didn’t think it likely Ray himself would find out if his character Alf, who is the only original remaining character on the show, would be killed off via a text message.
Laughing, Ray replied: “You never think about any of that, I’ve just been lucky to go to work each day for the last 32 years.”
WATCH: Home and Away‘s Robbo dies in dramatic scenes during the season premiere:
While it would no doubt be a curve ball to find out your character’s time was coming to a close on the show, it undoubtedly opens up a whole new world of opportunities for the actors that have graced the sands of the fictional Summer Bay township over the years.
Some of Australia’s most well-known celebs in Hollywood got their first break on the local soap – proving it to be a key springboard for budding actors and actresses.
Possibly one of the most renowned of these is Chris Hemsworth, who played the lovable larrakin Kim on the show back in the early 2000s.
Since his character’s departure, the 36-year-old has since gone on to act in some of Hollywood’s biggest titles, including the Marvel franchise’s Thor.
Former Home and Away star Chris Hemsworth has since made a name for himself in Hollywood.
(Getty)With this in mind, perhaps the genuine shock of finding out one’s character is about to be written off is a blessing in disguise.
Next up, Hollywood…
