Last December, Henrietta Graham dared to publicly proclaim one of her acting ambitions, and the proverb “fortune favours the courageous” came to mind.
Graham, 18, had no idea that her announcement to The Sunday Age would help her achieve her dream of appearing on Neighbours one day.
The piece, about Graham’s enrolment in a new filmmaking school for individuals with disabilities, drew the attention of Fremantle Publicist Kelly Davis, who works on the long-running series.
Davis thought it “a lovely story” and showed it to Neighbours producer Andrew Thompson.
They invited Graham onto the set of Neighbours, which led to her auditioning and being hired as one of the final new characters on the 37-year-old soap series, which will air its final episode on August 1.
“She’s absolutely loving it,” says Henrietta’s mother, Natalie Graham. “We drive her to the set and the grin from ear to ear is just priceless.
“She says, ‘I can’t believe I’m in my favourite show’.”
Graham plays Sam, the manager’s assistant at the fictional Lassiters Hotel. It means she’ll be working alongside April Rose Pengilly, who portrays Chloe, her Neighbours acting inspiration.
Thompson said Graham’s presence was an opportunity to promote inclusivity on screen. “And not just in a one-off scene — it’s a character that becomes part of our community,” he said.
Last week, Graham, who has Down syndrome, was shooting sequences with Stefan Dennis and Rebekah Elmaloglou, who play Lassiters co-owners Paul Robinson and Terese Willis, at Fremantle Studios in Melbourne’s east.
Working with Graham had been “such a thrill,” according to Elmaloglou. “She’s very stunning, and she’s ecstatic to be here, which is really what it’s all about,” Elmaloglou added.
Graham stated she enjoyed acting in the series, which helped establish the careers of performers such as Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, and Margot Robbie, and that the other actors “are always assisting me.”
Dennis was “wonderful and humorous,” she claimed, while Elmaloglou was “fun and cool.”
Graham stated she was “overjoyed” to get the part and enjoyed working with “all of my favourite characters.”
Thompson expressed his delight if Graham’s performance led to more acting possibilities.
He answered, “If that’s what she enjoys doing, then that’s a fantastic thing.” “What we all want for is for her career to continue beyond Neighbours.”
Thompson claimed “emotions are starting to ratchet up” among cast and crew with less than a month of shooting left on Neighbours.
“However, it is also a celebration.” Everyone should be proud of what we’ve accomplished and the stories we’ve shared. “We’re definitely ending on a positive note.”
He expressed regret that future generations will not have the opportunity to “get their first job” on Neighbours.
Graham is also enrolled in a new Accessible Film Studies course offered by Bus Stop Films and RMIT University for young adults with disabilities.
Her family and friends were looking forwards to seeing her episodes from July 5 to the final episode of Neighbours, she said.
Natalie Graham described her daughter’s accomplishments as “extraordinarily proud” in a world that “doesn’t often embrace people with disabilities.”
Henrietta felt the role had given her a lot of confidence.
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