Nothing excites Home and Away fans more than an on-screen romance that manifests in real life.
So when Sophie Dillman, who plays Ziggy’s boyfriend on Summer Bay, began dating Patrick O’Connor, we knew we were in for a special treat.
While living together and spending 12 hours a day on set with your boyfriend may seem like a recipe for disaster, Sophie tells TV WEEK that it has never been a problem.
“Because we were working together before we were dating, I already knew what he was like in the work world,” she tell us.
“And he was playing [Ziggy’s] love interest, so I also got to work out whether he was a good kisser and all that sort of stuff before I actually took the bait,” she laughs.
The 28-year-old actor, who has played Ziggy since 2017, believes separating their personal and professional lives has been surprisingly simple.
“We’ve sort of made boundaries of ‘work is work and home is home’,” Sophie says.
“Especially at work, you’re playing a character, you’re not playing yourself. So it’s not like Sophie and Patty are having an argument, it’s Dean and Ziggy. And we’re very different from our characters so it’s most of the time fine.”
Private concerns can sometimes follow her and Patrick onto set, according to the 28-year-old, but they always manage to make light of it.
“We laugh about if we have an argument at home and then we have to be happy on set, that’s the best acting you do!” she laughs.
“We’ve been doing it so long now that it’s the norm.”
Sophie has no plans to leave Home and Away on her own accord when it comes to her future.
The 28-year-old actress, who has been a regular on the programme since 2017, says she will gladly stay until Ziggy is written off.
“It’s when the writers decide to stop writing for you. It’s not like I go, “yep I’m going to keep staying” or “I’m going to go”,” she says.
“Ultimately, you’re there as a character not as yourself. The character is written for the actor and they choose the actor to play the character not the other way round.”
“But I would honestly love to stay for as long as I possibly can, I still learn every day. Until Ziggy is ready to go, Sophie is happy to stay!”
Sophie beams when she talks about her enthusiasm for Home and Away, but working on a fast-paced set isn’t without its difficulties.
“We work really hard, there’s no doubt. [Shooting] 10 scenes a day is a minimum for us,” she reveals.
“They are really long days and absolutely we all work really hard and deserve every holiday that we get. But it’s an incredible set full of the kindest, most dedicated people.
While the cast of Home and Away are the show’s public face, Sophie believes the crew is what keeps it alive.
“They’re the best of the best,” she exclaims, “and they’re doing three people’s duties that would be compared to a different set.”
“They are absolutely on top of it. [Home and Away] has been running for 35 years so it is a perfectly oiled machine and as an actor you just fit into the cog and play your character and you just keep going.”
Sophie believes that the Summer Bay set is an excellent place for aspiring actors to gain experience in the competitive television and film industry.
“I couldn’t think of a better place for people to work because you hone your craft, you learn how to use a set, use a script, use a scene partner and everything in between,” she explains.
“You’re primed and ready to go for anything that comes your way. I’m not worried about being on set at any point. I’ve spent five years working 12-hour days, you know exactly what’s going to happen.”
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