Summer Bay, a fictional coastal town in New South Wales, Australia, is the setting for Home and Away. But what happened to the members of one of the city’s most notorious families, the Poulos?
You’ve probably gone through a Home and Away period unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 30 years.
The Australian soap has captured fans with weekly drama – and, of course, its iconic opening theme tune.
Alan Bateman, the show’s creator, came up with the concept for the show during a trip to New South Wales.
Locals had been complaining about a new foster home in the neighbourhood, he noticed.
He was planning to call the show Refuge at first, but then decided on Home and Away because of the tension.
The show went on to become the second-longest-running drama series in television history.
From Bobby’s dramatic boat death in 1993 to Alisa’s fatal heart attack in 2000, fans of Home and Away have never been short of drama to make them laugh, scream, or cry – or all three.
We’ve looked back at the personalities who helped launch stars’ careers over the course of three decades.
Specifically, we’ve explored the stars behind one of Home and Away’s most notorious families – the Poulos clan.
Peta Toppano (Helen Poulos)
From 2000 to 2009, Peta Toppano played Helen Poulos, Helen’s mother.
She was born in Australia but raised in England and has a long career in television and cinema.
Her remarkable appearance impressed fans to the point where she was named Australia’s most beautiful woman, which may have impacted her casting as the seductive vixen in Return to Eden, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Peta, on the other hand, has had her fair share of heartbreak. Her mother passed away in 2004 after a long illness. Peta stated she “couldn’t go back to show business” after her death since they were so close.
Peta, who is now 71, has also had three failed marriages: to Kerry Stokes, Barry Quin, and a brief adolescent relationship with singer Brian O’Toole.
In fact, the actor was recently seen working behind the counter in an Australian business for $17 an hour, taking a bold step away from the limelight.
At the same time, her ex-husband Kerry started making a lot of money, ranking 620th on Forbes’ list of billionaires with a reported personal wealth of $1.26 billion.
Ada Nicodemou (Leah Poulous)
Ada has played Leah Helena Adara Patterson on Home and Away for 22 years.
She is one of four siblings in the Poulos family.
Her character is seldom far from the action, with noteworthy plotlines including her wild wedding to Dan Baker, his gambling troubles, and eventual death in a climbing mishap.
Ada is currently a globally recognised actress who starred in The Matrix in 1999.
Fans are frequently in awe of the attractive 45-year-old actress, who they claim has barely aged since her start on the serial.
However, she experienced a devastating loss away from the screen in 2014. Harrison, her second son, was stillborn at birth.
In a statement at the time, she said: “It is with great sadness that we need to share some news with you.
“Our baby boy Harrison was delivered stillborn on Thursday 7 August 2014. We appreciate your love and support as we mourn the loss of our precious son.
“We understand we have lived some of our lives in the public eye. But we respectfully ask for privacy at this difficult and extremely painful time so we can grieve and heal.”
Chrys Xipolitas, her husband at the time, had been upfront about their inability to conceive.
The couple split a year later. Ada is now dating Adam Rigby, a millionaire businessman. Adam had never watched Home and Away when they met, Ada confessed in 2021.
She said: “We met at a work function and he had no idea who I was.”
Alex Blias (Chris Poulos)
From 2001 until 2009, Alex Blias portrayed Chris Poulous.
Chris was one of Leah’s brothers and often found himself in her shadow, making him one of the Poulos clan’s less notable members.
He has acted in films such as Hyde & Seek and Peter Rabbit after leaving the show more than a decade ago.
He also appeared in the 1998 film Spank! and a number of stage and television productions.
Alex has also dabbled in comedy, performing at events such as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Cracker Comedy Festival.
But the most noticeable difference is that he no longer has the thick, dark locks that he wore in Home and Away. He now shaves what appears to be a balding head, giving him a sleek new appearance.
Silvio Ofria (Theo Poulos)
Theo, played by Silvio, is the father of Leah, Dimintri, Chris, and Alex.
His character was constantly embroiled in drama, involving himself in bribery and family feuds.
Water Rats, Wildside, All Saints, and Murder in the Outback are among his other credits.
Danny Raco (Alex Poulos)
For four years, Danny Raco portrayed Alex Poulos, one of the four Poulos siblings.
He then left the show to pursue a career as a filmmaker, but returned in 2007 for a few cameo appearances.
In 2002, he won a Logie Award for Most Popular New Male Talent for his role as Alex.
He dated two of his co-stars, Tammin Sursok, who played Dani Sutherland, and Ada Nicodemou, who played his sister Leah, indicating that he was popular on set.
He and Ada didn’t last a year together, but they kept things amicable.
The Italian-American actor also played Constable Joss Peroni on Blue Heelers, a role he held until 2006.
Matt Evans (Theo Poulos)
Matt Evans joined the cast of Home and Away as young Theo in September 2021, making him a relatively new addition to the serial.
He arrives in Summer Bay as Leah’s nephew, seeking her assistance after being kicked out by his father for cheating on customers at the family’s auto dealership.
Matt was, however, a familiar face to many Australian audiences because to his experience on The Voice.
He enjoys a good ballad, but his personal life appears to be devoid of romance.
Matt told the Telegraph: “I do write a lot of love songs, which is funny because I haven’t had many girlfriends and I don’t really fall in love very easy.”
The actor and singer, 25, is keen to launch a music career alongside his Home and Away fame – and if you listen in, you’ll even hear his songs during the episodes.
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