More than 20 years have passed since Love My Way fans were changed forever by a single episode of television – and we’re still not over it. But it seems neither is leading star Claudia Karvan.
The Aussie series, which ran from 2004-2007, was a huge hit during its run, collecting multiple accolades including three TV WEEK Logie Awards for most Outstanding Drama Series. It also included the likes of Asher Keddie, Brendan Cowell, Dan Whyllie, Sam Worthington, Damon Herriman and Ben Mendelsohn in its cast.
But in 2005, Love My Way took on a controversial and highly emotive storyline arc which saw eight-year-old Lou (played by Alex Cook) suffer a heart attack after falling off her scooter. The episode plays out in excruciating fashion as Frankie, played by Claudia, rushes to her daughter’s aide. But the unthinkable has already happened and the grief hits like a brick.
It was tragic in all the ways it could be. It stunted the audience and created a conversation that still exists now. We stared at the screen, stopped mid-conversation and bawled our eyes out. But in the broad landscape of television, where shock factor is almost a pre-requisite for storytelling, why does this moment still have us in an emotional chokehold two decades later?
Claudia Karvan on the ‘terrifying’ episode of Love My Way
Reflecting on the episode, The Secret Life of Us star tells TV WEEK that the tragic storyline “invites in a scenario that you don’t even want to contemplate.”
“From a performance point of view, was terrifying!” Claudia, 53, explains.
With a young child at home, it was easy for the Bump actress to tap into her feelings and go to places that are usually buried deep.
“I think I was in the perfect headspace to be able to perform that, looking back on it now, because I had a healthy three-year-old at home,” Claudia explains. “Parenthood and motherhood were all very fresh and hormones were flowing; the vulnerability was there. And it’s all or nothing when you have a young child.”
From a creative standpoint, it was a risky swing that set Love My Way apart from traditional dramedies.
Themes of love and loss aren’t unusual in a show like this, but after building up a mother-daughter relationship that was honest and full, producers dared to ask what enormous grief looks like by killing off a much-loved and innocent character – someone with few complexities to misguide our feelings. Understanding became the basis for Claudia when she dissected the scene.
“You [actors] have to empathise with the person who’s in the situation and you try to respectfully acknowledge what any other human being would be going through in this time of their life,” she says. “And you try to honour it, I guess. And that’s all you can do.”.
How Claudia Karvan prepared for the heartbreaking scene
With a lot of emotion to draw on, Claudia used various methods to explore Frankie’s perspective.
“I had a genuine, strong connection with Alex, who played Lou. And I just carried a photo around of her,” Claudia explains. “And I also had a handbook, which was a genuine handbook for grieving parents. So before each scene, I would read the practical tip for that day, like ‘Day 55 post-losing your child’ for example. And that just put me in the headspace of what this parent might be feeling.”
Nowadays her own two children, Albee and Audrey, are all grown up now. Claudia says it wouldn’t be the same if she were to act out the scene today.
Claudia Karvan isn’t looking back: ‘I haven’t watched it!’
“It would be very different and probably much harder to perform because you have to start inviting all sorts of different possibilities into your life when your children are older,” she says. “But when they’re young, the umbilical cord is still, you know, attached, essentially. You’re in a much rawer state and you just don’t question that level of loss and emotion.”
As Love My Way continues to find new audiences, the time could be ripe to revisit the show. But Claudia admits she isn’t quite ready to go back.
“God, I haven’t watched it since [it first aired],” she says of the scene. “It’s a strange out-of-body experience. “I’m not very good at raking over the past – I do like watching other people’s stuff – but it’s such a discipline and hard work to stay in the present. That’s where I try to stay.”
Love My Way is available to stream on Stan, ABC iView and Prime Video
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