Third time’s a charm for Michala Banas and Brett Tucker, who play a detective husband and wife duo in the ABC’s Blue Murder Motel… and have played on-air partners on two previous occasions.
In Blue Murder Motel, Michala and Brett are Vanessa “Vinny” and Peter “Cole” Coleman , while in Neighbours where they were Libby Kennedy and Dan Fitzgerald (divorced but still with feelings) and in McLeod’s Daughters they were Australia’s sweethearts Kate Manfedi and Dave Brewer.
But that’s not all for these fast friends.
“So many people have been sending messages on social media saying: ‘Our favourite couple are back again!’ meaning Kate and Dave, but Brett and I have been working together for even longer than many realise,” Michala, 47, tells TV WEEK.
“We met on the Saddle Club in 2001 actually, so it’s been 30 years of friendship and working together for us.
“As well as that, McLeod’s and Neighbours, we’ve made a short film together, my husband (actor Toby Truslove) and I lived with Brett in the United State for a while… we’ve been good mates for such a long time!”
All of which made it “a no brainer” to say yes to the chance of working together again in Blue Murder Motel, the pair agree.
“Yeah, it’s great fun,” Brett, 53, adds. “Obviously made more fun by the fact that Michala and I know each other so well and are very comfortable on screen together.
“It’s definitely rare to play a couple who are in synch, emotionally intelligent with each other, and not in the process of either tearing the relationship down or overcoming obstacles to be together.
“They’re a great team and read each other perfectly.”
Michala agrees.
“That’s what I loved most about these characters, how much they just absolutely love and adore each other,” she says.
“We see a lot of relationships of people that age on screen that are breaking down or falling apart or they’re just not into each other so the idea of seeing this couple that still love their careers but make a shift for themselves… I just thought that was really cool.”
And as a bonus, that on-screen relationship also cleverly removes something that often wrecks crime dramas with male and female leads, the “will they or won’t they” tension of a couple that might get together and ruin the magic of the drama in the process.
“Particularly as Michala and I are on screen so much, mostly together, I think that had we been in a “will they won’t they” dynamic on top of the story for each episode, it would have been draining for us and the audience,” Brett says.
“So, it was a relief and refreshing to be able to be grounded together in the safety of that relationship.”
And that frees them up to concentrate not only on the “crime of the week”, format of the series, where murder seems to find its way to the hotel they’ve taken over in their retirement from policing, but also the over-arching mystery of what drove them out of Sydney in the first place.
Both actors are careful not to let any spoilers slip, but they agree that mystery will be the cops’ biggest case.
“The last thing Cole really wanted to be doing was go investigating potential homicides,” Brett says, “but Vinny being the fierce, laser sharp detective she is, just can’t let it slide.”
And so once again they’re catching the bad guys (and girls) and having a lot of fun along the way.
It’s a dream role to be acting alongside Brett, Michala says, but also because the pairing means she gets to take on the type of character she thought she would no longer be offered.
“Not to sound grim, but I’m a middle-aged woman now, I’m not what is usually starring in a show anymore and I thought probably my days of being the lead were no more,” she says.
“So, when the chance to be the co-lead with Brett again came along I just thought: ‘Ooh, that looks scary! I should do that!” because I like to do things I find challenging or a bit intimidating.”
And it’s a role she happily admits she’d love to keep playing.
After creating such iconic characters – including Always Greener’s Marissa Taylor and of course the incredible Amber Wheeler of Upper Middle Bogan, a character Michala happily admits she adores – she now wants to see where Vinny and Cole can go.
“Brett and I just clicked when we first worked together years ago and hence the reason we’ve maintained a friendship through all travels, experiences, adventures… I think it’s really rare to have a good mate like that and to also end up working with them it’s kind of this beautiful thing,” she says.
“We just want to work with each other honest.”
So, if there’s another season of Blue Murder Motel, she says, count them in.
But even if there isn’t, this won’t be the last time they act together.
“Hopefully we’ll get to play grandma and grandpa on something at some point,” she laughs.
“Give us a few years, mate! We’ll be there!”
Blue Murder Hotel airs Saturday, 7.30pm on ABC and ABC iview
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