'Neighbours' Jackie Woodburne: 'I want all of Karl and Susan's kids to return'
It has been over 4,500 episodes since much-loved Neighbours couple Susan and Karl Kennedy turned up on Ramsay Street.
Digital Spy recently chatted to Jackie Woodburne, who plays Susan, about her show highlights, her on-screen children and what is coming up next for the Kennedys.
Did you ever imagine you would be in the show for this long when you first started?
"I know, that is an extraordinary amount of episodes. We were talking about it today and realising how old we are! It is quite daunting. But of course, we came on the show initially for 12 months so anything above that was just a bit of a bonus really. It is a very long time."
The show must have changed quite a bit since you started back in 1994. What would you say are the biggest changes?
"Yes, I think the whole point in something like Neighbours is that it reflects what is happening in the world. Any family, or any neighbourhood, or any situation develops over 20 years, and so obviously 20 years' worth of change has occurred on the show. It has changed a lot."
There have been lots of changes on Neighbours over the last year with new sets and new families. Is this exciting?
"Yes! It's great. We have gone back to what is fundamentally Neighbours which is about small moments within families, so the fact that we have got two brand new families with varying ages of children on board, I think is great because it does take us back to the roots of the show which is to tell stories about normal people in their normal lives and how they interact with each other and kids growing up and how they relate to their parents. I think we have gone back to basics which is great."
What has been your favourite storyline of Susan's so far?
"I keep coming back to the Karl, Susan and Izzy love triangle because it was such a profound story for all three characters. I think for the viewers, it threw Karl and Susan into an area they have never explored before and to have the Izzy character on board, we all got to do things that our characters had never done before and they were just really great stories."
What storyline would you say has been the most challenging?
"Maybe the MS one - that was pretty challenging. A lot of care was taken to get the facts of the story right but at the same time we had to still be a drama and still tell engaging stories. It was trying to bridge that gap between a real situation and what would be a compelling dramatic situation. That was pretty challenging."
Do you think we could see Susan's MS be revisited again?
"Well, in a story that won't have aired over with you yet, Susan has had a very small relapse. It is a chronic condition and I think it will remain as a condition that does affect their day-to-day lives but in a fairly off-the-radar sort of way but occasionally it will really inform much bigger storylines."
Could you give us any idea of what could be coming up for Susan and Karl storywise?
"I think at the moment they have just been finding their groove again. Susan is back as principal at Erinsborough High and there are all the dramas associated with that and several other characters. But I think at the moment, they are just finding their groove. My hope is that, not too far away, we will get a couple of teenagers in the house again which always makes a good story. Karl and Susan have had so many wayward children come through those doors that I wouldn't be surprised to see some other ones waiting in the wings."
They seem happy at the moment - could we see their marriage run into trouble again?
"I hope not, I really hope not! I don't think Fletch (Karl) or I have got it in us anymore. We have been reunited two or three times now and I think and hope that they are on very solid ground these days. I suspect that they will be together quite solidly for some time."
Do you prefer it when they are together or do you prefer them being apart?
"It is funny because I think Alan and I prefer it when we are together because we have such a comfortable way to work together. We have a short-hand and we have a lot of fun. But obviously on the other hand, the stories that are the most dramatic and the most challenging are when they are separated and they have had long periods of separation where they have operated as single people very successfully. I think that the chemistry they have together is a lot of fun though."
Why do you think Susan and Karl work so well as a couple?
"I think their relationship is very much centred around the fact that they are best mates. I think anyone watching that can relate to it – whether it is your spouse or another kind of best mate – I think people recognise that deep connection with another human being and that is at their core really."
Susan and Karl have become known for great comedy but also great drama. Do you have a preference between the two?
"Fletch and I both enjoy the comedy very much and we will always try to find a moment or perhaps a little section of a scene that we can try and find a lighter side of. I think when the show works best it is that balance of the elevated drama and those lovely familiar moments of comedy and I think that is what the audience enjoys as well. We always try and find those comedy moments because I think we both just like having a laugh really."
Benjamin McNair has returned for guest stints as Mal in recent years. Would you like to see Libby or Billy return as well?
"Yes definitely – any of the kids! I would love to see them all come back. That would be great. A Kennedy family Christmas maybe – that would be a good story, wouldn't it? Anne and Billy have a few kids now. We Skype with them occasionally and we will begin a scene with us signing off, saying 'OK Billy, OK Anne, see you, bye', just to keep those connections alive. They have got the twins and I think they have got one other, so lots of grandchildren!"
Karl's daughter Holly came and stayed with them earlier in the year. Could we see her again?
"Wasn't she great?! She was the most adorable kid and she was so good. Occasionally you get child actors on the show and sometimes they struggle a bit or they are just trying a bit too hard, or it isn't instinctive to them, but that little girl, she was just fantastic. I think she captured that character so well – she even had a bit of an English accent going on. She was so sweet. It would be wonderful to have her back."
What about Rachel and Zeke?
"They are living in Europe at the moment in the story and again, we Skype them from time to time! They were both terrific and I think Caitlin, the actress that played Rachel, is doing an LA thing and I think Matthew (Zeke) is doing his acting back here in Australia, so perhaps they could return in the future. Who knows?"
What do you hope the future holds for the Kennedys?
"I enjoy Susan working at the school as principal. I like those stories and I like working with the kids – I think it's great. I think the Kennedy house really buzzes when there are some teenagers on board though so if we could have some kids in the house again, then that would be terrific. Otherwise, Karl and Susan can keep doing their older couple comedies. I think that would be fun too!"
'Neighbours' Alan Fletcher teases Kennedys' anniversary, future returns
It has been over 4,500 episodes since the Kennedys turned up on Ramsay Street and 2014 will mark Karl and Susan's 20th anniversary on the show.
Digital Spy recently caught up with Alan Fletcher, who plays Karl, to hear about how their anniversary might be marked and whether viewers can expect Izzy Hoyland to make a return in the future.
It has been 4,500 episodes since you first started on the show. Did you ever imagine you would be in it for this long?
"No, I was on a one-year contract and I thought that would be nice. Then they asked if I would like to do one more year and I thought 'Two years? Wow. I have never done two years on that same job before. That will be very cool'. And then before I knew it, it was 19 years!"
What has been a highlight for you so far?
"I think the biggest highlight has to be the marriages to Susan – I have had three of them now! One of them was obviously before we came onto the show, but there have been some amazing bust-ups and remarriages to Susan which have always been enormous fun to shoot because each one of them has been different. During one of the break-ups, they had counselling and I had to turn to Jackie, who plays Susan, and look her in the eye and say, 'I just don't love you anymore'. It was a really powerful thing to say and a really powerful scene to play as well. We were both sobbing away. It was an incredible moment and it will stick in my memory for the rest of my life because it was so powerful and so emotional."
Do you find playing Karl a challenge still, or is it second nature to you now?
"It is always a challenge and the minute it becomes easy, you know you have got some work to do. When you have played a character for a very long time, it is very easy to slip into bad habits and just give a surface performance, or a two-dimensional performance, almost as if you were playing a character of yourself. You have to be terribly careful to make sure you give as much as intensity, concentration and study into the scene I do today, as I did when I first arrived on the show. That is the biggest challenge."
Karl can be very funny but he has also been involved in a lot of dramatic storylines over the years. Do you have a preference between the two?
"My preference is that there is 48 weeks in the working year and I want 24 weeks of comedy and 24 weeks of drama - that would be my wish! The writers do help with that as well because often, I will go through a period of high drama and then suddenly some lovely comedy comes through and it makes the job so interesting because both comedy and drama require slightly different skills and require a slightly different touch."
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New addition to the portrait at the Kennedy house
© Facebook / Neighbours
New addition to the portrait at the Kennedy house.
Next year will mark 20 years since Susan and Karl arrived in Ramsay Street. Will there be a big storyline for them to coincide with this?
"I hope so! I can't imagine what it would be. Maybe this is the point we discover that Karl never actually qualified as a doctor? I am sure there will be a big story though. I would like to think that maybe some characters might come back from the past. I haven't spoken to the producers about it yet, in fact, I will take them out for lunch and make some suggestions. The head of our script department and our producer, Jason Herbison, is a person whose connection with Neighbours and his depth of knowledge about the show, is absolutely immense. His passion for the programme is extraordinary. I can't tell people what is going to happen for our 20th anniversary, but what I can say is that I know it will be full of Jason's incredible background and love of the Kennedys. I am sure it will be wonderful. "
Can you tell us anything else about what could be coming up for Karl storywise?
"Karl has got a few challenges coming up. His biggest challenge is probably dealing with Georgia. She has sort of a convoluted life as she took over his band, The Right Prescription, and Karl got pushed to the edge. Interestingly, Karl has taken on a very paternal, fatherly role towards Georgia which I think is a really nice fit, and he gets quite involved in her life. I can't actually discuss the details but there is a lovely contest that develops between Karl and Paul which has been a delight to play. Sheila becomes quite involved in that too and it has some great comedy as well as some good drama. We are just working on that story now so that might be one for early next year in the UK."
Jackie Woodburne said that she hopes Karl and Susan don't split up again. Do you feel the same way?
"Absolutely! I think we have worked the stories very well with them apart and breaking up and so forth, so I would love to see them stay together. That doesn't mean we can't do stories where their relationship is challenged but I don't think there would necessarily be much value in breaking them up. Certainly every marriage faces challenges and there is no reason why Karl and Susan's wouldn't. They have got such a wonderful fanbase and there are so many beautiful people who contact us through social media as well. I think it is gorgeous that so many people talk about Karl and Susan as 'Kusan' – it is a lovely name for the two of them!
"That sort of connection with the fans is almost my favourite part of working on Neighbours. I spend a lot of time contacting fans and also meeting them like on the Neighbours bus tour and I love it. I think it is so important to get out and meet the people who love the show because we have such amazing connections through this programme and we don't have an audience when we make the programme, so it is fantastic to get out and actually have a sense of how much the show means to people."
Would you like to see Mal, Libby or Billy return at some point?
"Yes, it would be fantastic! Jessie (Billy) of course is having a fantastic career out in the United States. I saw him just the other night on Chicago Fire, so he is having a wonderful career out there. I see Benji (Mal) a lot, as well as Kym (Libby). Kym is actually quite busy looking after her daughter and she is very focused on that and being a mum. Benji has three beautiful children as well and so we do catch up. Benji has actually come and done quite a few guest stints and I would love it if he came back quite often."
Karl's daughter Holly Hoyland came and stayed with them for a little bit, earlier this year. Could we see her again?
"She was terrific! I can't guarantee what they are going to write but I can't imagine that they wouldn't utilise her again. She was fantastic and she just did such a great job and I think it is a terrific dynamic to have, that connection with Izzy and London. I loved doing that storyline – it was really good. Acting with the young actress playing Holly was so moving – she was so connected to the thoughts of the character she was playing. It was such a joy. "
Are there any plans to bring Izzy back? Would that be something you would like to see?
"That would be at the top of my wish list – I would love to see Izzy back. The beautiful Natalie Bassingthwaighte, who played her, is a great friend of mine and I see her all the time. Her life has been very focused on raising her family and of course, she works here on the X Factor as a judge. That programme is shown on another network to the one in which Neighbours is shown. So, at this stage there probably isn't a chance of Izzy coming back but it would be at the top of my wish list."
Karl obviously has family in London. Would you like to film there again one day?
"Yes! When Jackie and I came over and filmed there with Natalie, we had the best time. That was Karl and Susan's wedding and we filmed it on the Thames. It was freezing and we ran out of light. We also got up very early in those freezing conditions for Izzy to give birth. It was an extraordinary time but we just loved it. It was a terrific experience and I would love to do it again one day - we will see!"
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Lucinda Armstrong as Holly Hoyland in Neighbours
© Channel 5
Will we be seeing any more of Karl's band 'The Right Prescription' or has it come to the end of the road?
"It is not quite at the end of the road yet! As a person who plays in a rock and roll band outside of Neighbours, it gave me an enormous sense of pleasure to play Karl's songs as he is obviously considered quite cheesy and silly. Hopefully 'The Right Prescription' will keep going. I know a lot of people talk about it as being a very fun part of Neighbours so I hope it doesn't disappear. I know it is back because there is a script over the next couple of weeks where something happens."
Looking into the long-term, do you plan to still be in the show for its 30th anniversary in 2015?
"I never make any plans about the future because who knows what the future holds but I would dearly love to be there for the 30th anniversary. I was there for the 20th and the 25th and the wonderful thing, particularly about the British audiences, is the way that when they find a show they love, they really look after it. Coronation Street is now 50 plus years and EastEnders has been going for a very long time and I think that is absolutely marvellous. The fact that they have stayed with Neighbours has been a blessing for us here in Australia and we are very grateful."
What do you hope the future holds for Karl and Susan?
"A lot of fun - I really hope there is a lot of fun! We just adore doing comedy together and I hope there is a lot of family love and connections to the past. Also an involvement with the younger actors on the street. We have some fantastic young actors on the show, so as much interaction with them as Jackie and I can get. Neighbours throws up a new challenge everyday and we are very grateful for that."