Having played Alf Stewart on Home and Away for more than three decades, Ray Meagher has likely adopted a few of his alter-ego’s character traits. But thankfully, the dramatic storylines we see play out on screen don’t flow into his personal life.
That is, until recently, when Alf became an unexpected person of interest in a hit-and-run accident. Rest assured, the TV WEEK Gold Logie winner hasn’t been accused of such a crime, but the actor reveals he can understand the stage of life Alf is currently in.
The storyline unfolding in recent episodes of Home and Away began when Alf was pulled over for driving without a registered license. At the age of 81, Ray says he understands that experience.
“I really enjoyed doing this storyline because I can relate to people picking up the registration papers and then putting it aside and forgetting about it,” Ray tells TV WEEK. “And for a lot of them, you don’t get the hard copy anymore so it’s easy to [forget].
“Then I can relate to the scene of him having to get a medical clearance to get his license. All of it makes sense to me.”
Of course, the dramatic flair of a TV series is how they take a small, relatable problem and catastrophise it for drama.
“I understood where all the writers were going with it. It’s generally not the end of the world, but in the case of Alf, it is,” Ray adds. “I enjoyed it.”
Despite the many rumours of when Ray will exit the long-running drama, it seems he’s working more than ever. The Brisbane-born star was stretched to his limits in order to film the scenes.
“We filmed [this storyline] over two weeks and during it, I filmed 70 scenes, one week was 38 and the other was 32. It’s a hell of a lot to do in that time,” Ray explains. “So, I had my head down for that entire time and it was an interesting two weeks. Some of the scenes were quite harrowing, too.”
Ray jokingly adds: “I’m sure it’s not a world record or anything, but I was thinking of suing somebody for cruelty to old people [laughs].”
And fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the iconic figure says it’s, “not leading to my exit [from the show] at this stage.”
Throughout his career, Ray has been lauded by fans and critics the world over. His success has seen him become the recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia [OAM], a TV WEEK Gold Logie Award, a Guiness World Record for the longest serving actor in an Australian serial drama and a wax figure at the famous Madame Tussauds.
He’s also considered the heart of Home and Away, a label he quickly dismisses.
“That’s kind of you to say, but nobody is the heart and soul of this show. Everyone contributes to it,” Ray replies. “This show has a life of its own.”
“I just think whoever [cast and crew] is here at the moment are the custodians and their job is to make it a better show than it was when they arrived. And then pass it onto the next lot and give a work opportunity to other aspiring Australian actors.”
Home and Away airs Monday to Thursday at 7pm on Channel Seven
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