The son of a Kiwi sporting legend, Cantona Stewart is making waves in Summer Bay
There’s a new bad boy in Summer Bay and his name is Cantona Stewart. The 28-year-old newcomer hit town with a bang recently, playing troubled youngster Perri Hayes, and the drama is only going to keep coming.
Cantona admits landing the role was a wish come true.
“You can only dream of having the chance to work on what most would say is the pinnacle and pillar of TV,” says Cantona. “To receive that phone call to say you’re moving to Sydney to work on Home And Away was numbing. I’ll treasure the whole experience for the entirety of my career.”
Born in the UK but raised in Australia, the actor was named after soccer legend Eric Cantona by his father. His dad, New Zealand league pro Sam Stewart, aka “Slammin’ Sam”, played for the Kiwis and later the Newcastle Knights.
Of Tainui and Ngāti Hau descent, Cantona’s first gig was as the stand-in for a younger version of Jason Momoa’s character in the 2016 Hollywood blockbuster Aquaman. Then, he played a role alongside Ioan Gruffudd in the 2018 TV drama Harrow. After that, he starred in the Netflix hit Surviving Summer.
But now he’s on Home And Away, Cantona says, “Nothing can prepare you for the workload and discipline you need for this show. To wake up each day with a script in hand, and the opportunity to work with some of the greatest actors and directors in the country is surreal. It’s a real pinch-me moment. It was more than I envisioned. I’m sure that whatever is next won’t compare to my experience in the Bay.”
Cantona adds that the cast helped calm any nerves he had, particularly Kiwi-born actor Ethan Browne, who served as Cantona’s mentor, much like his character Tane Parata does for Perri in Home And Away.
“I’ve known Ethan for a few years now, so having the chance to reconnect with him was great,” he says. “He helped guide me through the processes on the show.”
The actor adds that he can’t wait for audiences to get to know Perri this year. Particularly because he played a strong part in shaping the character.
“I had many conversations with the script department, directors, friends and whānau back home in New Zealand that helped me develop a foundation for Perri,” he explains. “An important question I asked myself was, ‘Who can relate to Perri and what is my due diligence when it comes to that audience member?’”
Cantona adds that portraying a Polynesian living in Australia was at the forefront of his mind.
“Culture for Pacific Islanders and Māori is paramount,” he tells. “For those like me, growing up in Australia, we may not have had the day-to-day touchstones of culture we would have had back in our home countries, in schools and sporting teams. It’s the little things we miss out on that we long for and wish to connect with.”
While filming for Home And Away has wrapped for the season, Cantona says he’s jumping at the chance to return.
“Summer Bay is a dream world to live in,” he grins. Canatona envisions a plotline where “Tane gets into trouble or possibly kidnapped. Then, Perri, with the martial-arts training Tane has given him, comes back to the Bay and rescues him Liam Neeson-style”!
Home And Away screens 11am and 6.30pm weekdays, plus 10.20am Sundays, on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+.
