Post by Cornwallgirl on May 23, 2007 17:49:32 GMT 1
When Bonner Met O’Connor!
Neighbours stars Carla Bonner and Dan O’Connor reveal that they have a lot more in common than just rhyming surnames…
Even diehard fans of Neighbours may struggle to recall the last scene Ramsay Street’s Stephanie Hoyland shared with Ned Parker. But that hasn’t stopped the characters’ real-life alter egos from forging a firm friendship between takes. In fact, behind the scenes, actors Dan O’Connor (Ned) and Carla Bonner (Steph) have a very strong bond, which dates back to their first meeting on the soap’s set 18 months ago…
“Carla was the first person who went out of her way to make me feel welcome, which was a big deal at the time,” explains Dan, who joined Neighbours in 2005. “We were on location, filming Ned’s brother Stuart’s wedding to Sindi Watts. I didn’t know anyone, so it meant a lot to me that Carla made an effort.”
“I remember Dan sitting there all by himself, and it took me right back to my first day on the show,” chips in Carla, 34, who’s been playing Steph for eight years. “It’s very daunting. So Dan and I started talking and we clicked immediately.”
While Carla boasts years of acting experience, Dan’s only time in front of the cameras prior to Neighbours was as a reality TV contestant.
“My sons, Harley and Jhye, watch Australian Idol, and I remember seeing Dan perform. I was thinking ‘He looks great – but get him off!’,” grins Carla, tongue firmly in cheek. “He really brought a breath of fresh air to the Neighbours cast.”
Taking on the role of Ned also required Dan to move some 650 miles from his hometown of Sydney to Melbourne – where Neighbours is filmed – but he found an able guide in Carla.
“I didn’t know a soul, so it was great of Carla to take me under her wing,” he says. “We soon discovered that we have similar personalities, and both love doing things on the spur of the moment. That’s great fun.”
“If you go to Dan with a problem, you know you’re going to get true advice – he’s very real,” Carla smiles. “At the same time, he’s not perfect. He gives me a lot of trouble! But it’s never nasty or malicious.”
With Carla’s knowledge of the highs and lows of the fame game, it’s little wonder that Dan turned to her when confronted by his next challenge – appearing at a special ‘Neighbours Night’.
“We hold these pub evenings in Melbourne, mainly with British fans who are on holiday, and they can get pretty wild,” Dan chuckles. “Carla held my hand through the first one. After drinking, the crowd can get quite rowdy, and there’s a bit of groping – but not from me!”
However, one thing Carla and Dan have never to worry about is getting to grips with each other on screen – much to Carla’s chagrin!
“Ned’s been with every girl on Ramsay Street except Steph – what’s wrong with me?” she jokes. “I doubt that’ll change in the future, but it would be great if our characters had more to do with one another as friends.”
And despite the fact that the pair’s on-screen relations are limited, Carla and Dan reveal that they have the utmost admiration for the other’s work.
“There’s a storyline coming up where Ned has to deal with something that is completely new to him, and I’ve been touched by Dan’s performances,” shares Carla.
“I think Carla is one of the best actors in Neighbours,” continues Dan. “I was really impressed by her work during Steph’s second battle against cancer sometime last year. And I’m not just saying that because she’s sitting next to me. If she was rubbish, I’d tell her she was rubbish!”
Inside Soap, 26 May - 1 June 2007
By Jason Herbison
Page 40-41
