Just like his Home and Away character, actor Rocco Forrester-Sach can relate to fumbling his way through his first day on the job.
The newcomer, who plays rookie cop Richie, says he was “being a bit of an amateur” during his initial days on set and needed some guidance from his co-stars Jeremy Lindsay Taylor and Nicholas Cartwright, both of whom play senior officers David and Cash.
With a theatre background, Rocco had to adapt to a set rather than a stage.
Rocco Forrester-Sach on his first day jitters
“My first scene on Home and Away was, funnily enough, the first scene Richie is introduced [to audiences] to Cash and David.
“During one of my first takes, I was moving around, not staying on my mark,” he recalls. “They had to call ‘cut’, and thankfully, Nicholas explained that I was blocking his coverage and I needed to plant myself. We laugh about it still.”
Looking around the set of the long-running drama, Rocco says he was enamoured by what he saw.
“[It was] truly magical. I knew it would be fast paced, but that first time ‘cut’ was called and the crew began to finesse the set, I was enamoured,” he says. “When I started my acting journey one of my goals was to be cast on Home and Away, so it was also a ‘pinch me’ moment.”
On screen, Richie is in a world of trouble after accidentally shooting his superior officer, David. In recent weeks, the eager recruit has been trying to impress the Sergeant but his disregard for protocol has landed him in hot water.
Rocco Forrester-Sach on his co-stars Jeremy and Nicholas
While they are vastly different people, Rocco says he understands the adoration his alter-ego feels. He too felt it working alongside Jeremy and Nicholas.
“I never laugh more than when I get to do a scene with Nicholas,” he says. “Nic really helped me find my feet. He was so open to answering questions, offering guidance, making me feel comfortable on set.”
The same goes for much-loved Aussie actor, Jeremy.
“Jeremy and I are good mates now, but initially I actually shared Richie’s idolisation of him,” Rocco says. “Jeremy is a legacy Aussie actor, and I feel so lucky to share scenes with him. He is a warm, kind-hearted man.”
“I remember one day I rocked up to set with a killer migraine, just out of the blue. Jeremy really took care of me in our trailer. It’s been a treat to share a set with both Jeremy and Nicholas. I couldn’t be happier getting to work with them both.”
But what will happen to Richie after this monumental error?
“Well, anything can happen in Summer Bay!” Rocco says with a laugh.
Home and Away airs Monday to Thursday 7pm on Channel Seven
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