Ty Anderson (Darius Williams)
Home and Away airs its first LGBTQ+ storyline in nine years on UK screens next month, as John and Marilyn's foster child Ty Anderson reveals he's gay after making a move on his friend Ryder Jackson.
The scenes have been airing in Australia this week, showing Ryder supporting the Summer Bay newcomer after Ty (Darius Williams) misjudged their growing friendship by moving in for a kiss.
Fans will see more of Ty's journey in the episodes that follow, with Ryder, John and Marilyn all warmly encouraging him to be true to himself, despite some challenges along the way. The storyline begins screening on Channel 5 for British viewers from July 12.
Digital Spy recently caught up with Lukas Radovich, who plays Ryder, for a UK exclusive chat about his role in Ty's storyline.
How do you feel about this storyline finally going to air? We know you film the show about six months in advance.
"I'm just excited to see what the audience's reaction is. Like you said, we've been anticipating this story for quite a long time to be on air, so we've had a lot of time to prepare.
"I think it's fantastic for a show like Home and Away, which has been going for 30 years and is one of the most well-known Australian TV shows, to have this sort of storyline finally."
How did you feel when the producers first told you that you'd be part of this storyline?
"I was really excited to be part of a new storyline – something that hasn't been done before, and something that I could explore with a TV show which is such a part of Australian culture.
"I just treated it like any other storyline that I've been given. We're given new storylines almost every two weeks with a block of episodes, so I just treated it like anything else and so did everybody in the production – especially with Darius, who plays Ty. We just carried on as if it was another storyline."
Home and Away fans have been really keen to see a gay character in the show for a long time now. Are you expecting a positive reaction from the viewers?
"All you can ever hope for is a positive reaction from viewers. I don't think negative commentary is helpful in any way. So the more positive, the better. And I think you're right – the fans have been waiting for this sort of storyline to appear. I especially think it's important to have it for the younger generations who watch the show as well."
Ty Anderson kisses Ryder Jackson in Home and Away
© SEVEN NETWORK
Can you tell us how Ryder feels about Ty kissing him?
"At the start, it's the shock of what's just happened, especially because Ryder's been trying to get Ty romantically involved with Raffy. He wants Raffy to have a boyfriend and thinks that Ty is the perfect candidate, because he thought that he'd seen sparks between them. So for Ryder it's that shock of himself being wrong about the whole situation.
"But I also think that Ryder is slowly becoming a more mature character. He came into the Bay being quite a larrikin and somebody who didn't have much responsibility for his actions. I think that now he's got a support group of friends, he's realised how important they are to him.
"Ryder has obviously seen that Ty's had a rocky start to his time in the Bay, especially because he's a foster child being in a whole new environment with a whole new bunch of people. So Ryder just wants to support Ty as much as possible.
"I think that Ryder's reaction will definitely showcase that. He obviously wants to take Raffy's feelings into consideration, but at the same time, Ty is one of his best mates, so he wants to do good by him no matter what."
Are you glad the writers took that refreshing approach of Ryder being quite respectful and supportive to Ty?
"Yeah, absolutely. I think that's a reaction that is borne by his own experiences of being an outcast in a different way. Summer Bay is a place where there's a lot of drama and a lot of heartbreak, but one of the best things about the Bay is, no matter what's going on in the characters' lives, there's always that support group. You can really see that everyone cares about each other and that's one of the best parts of the show."
How did you guys approach doing the kiss scene?
"With scenes like that, we always have a couple of rehearsals. We rehearse every scene anyway with the director a week before we shoot. When there's anything intimate, we always go through: 'What's okay? What's not okay? How are we feeling?'
"But in the end, it was just like any other kissing scene, and we just approached it in a professional way. On the actual day, we went through a few rehearsals without kissing, and then we ended up shooting the kiss in the end. So we just treated it like any other scene."
Ryder Jackson and Ty Anderson in Home and Away
© CHANNEL 5
Do you think the writers have been influenced by the fact that Australia has embraced same sex marriage in recent months?
"Yeah, absolutely. A lot of things are changing in Australia at the moment for the better, and there's a lot more social inclusion in terms of the LGBT community. I think that the show has to take the responsibility to have these storylines and normalise every type of culture and sexual orientation, because Australia is a very diverse place. I think it's fantastic that they're able to create stories to change people's perception."
In real life, you're 23 so quite a bit older than Ryder. How did you feel about playing younger and going 'back to school' for this role?
"Well, I didn't really like school when I was actually at school! So I think having a second chance at it is quite a lot of fun. It's been fantastic working with the older actors and it's equally fantastic working with the younger actors as well. I've learned a lot from them and the experience has been extremely positive.
"Even though the character is a little bit younger, I can still easily relate to that point in my life and it's been a lot of fun revisiting those years."
You have a lot of scenes with Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart), who's the legend of Home and Away. Is he a bit of a mentor on set for the younger cast?
"Yeah, absolutely. I don't think that Ray, because he's so humble, would ever call himself a mentor, but I think all the cast definitely see him as someone that you could look up to and a definite role model.
"I heard that he's never had a sick day in his entire career. If it was anybody else, I wouldn't believe it, but because it's Ray, I definitely believe it. He's just such a legend. He's so dedicated to the work. Whenever I'm working with him, I make sure that I know my lines!"
Ryder Jackson and Alf Stewart react to Martha's arrival in Home and Away
© CHANNEL 5
Who are your main friends on set?
"Well, I live currently with Sam Frost (Jasmine), so we get along like a house on fire. We have a lot of fun together. Obviously I'm friends with Anna and Olivia, who play Coco and Raffy. But whenever we hang out as a cast, we always hang out as a big group. It's never just one or two people. Tim (Colby), Patrick (Dean), Sophie (Ziggy), Jackson (Brody) and Orpheus (Mason), they're all within a similar age group. We go out almost every single weekend and have a bit of fun together and go surfing or go swimming together.
"I actually just started learning to surf with Patrick. We made a pact that by the end of our time on Home and Away, we're both going to be pro surfers. So we'll see how that turns out!"
What would you like to see in Ryder's future?
"At the moment, I'm just enjoying Ryder becoming a more mature and well-rounded person. Showing a bit of his sensitive side and a bit of his caring side has been really interesting for me to play.
"I think it would be really interesting to see what happens with him, his dad and his mum and his own family dynamic, and whether they'll come back. That's something that interests me, his own personal family life."
Lukas Radovich as Ryder Jackson in Home and Away
© CHANNEL 5
What are your future career ambitions?
"I think I'd love to write my own stuff. I've been doing little projects throughout my time with Home and Away with some friends, like writing a web series and short films. I just shot a music video in New Zealand last weekend with a couple of friends. So I think I'd love to write and act in my own stuff, and work with people that I love.
"Both my brothers live in London, so I think my plan after my time in Home and Away is to make my way over to London and try to get a job there. Because I think the work that's being created there, in terms of TV and film, is really incredible. So I'd love to be a part of that."
How much has Home and Away changed things for you?
"It's changed every aspect of my life, from my social group to my work and living situation, and it's been incredible. I never expected myself to get on Home and Away. I've just learned so much over the last year and a bit that I've been on this show about myself and what I want to do with my life and my skills as an actor. It's just confirmed that I want to be in this industry for my whole life. It's been a fantastic opportunity."
Digital Spy
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