Sonny (Ryan Bown)

[Pantherboy]

Ryan Bown has joined the cast of H&A as character Sonny. Daily Telegraph (subscriber only) article - he is mentioned near the end of the article:


"Home and Away welcomes new wild child, Sophea Pennington
Many of Australia's biggest star got their start on Home and Away. Now one of Summer Bay's newest edition is hoping to follow in their footsteps. Meet the soap's new cast members.


Home and Away has served as a launch pad for some of Australia's biggest stars, and now the iconic soap welcomes a fresh face to its cast.

Meet Sophea Pennington, the latest addition to the Summer Bay family, set to shake things up as Lacey - the wild child with a heart of gold.

"I'm beyond excited, I feel like I've blinked and it truly is a dream come true," Ms Pennington told The Daily Telegraph.

After graduating with a diploma from NIDA in 2021, the 22-year-old described landing the role as a true 'pinch me moment.'

"When I was little, Home and Away was always playing on our TV, so it's surreal to now be part of the show."

Hoping to follow the footsteps of now Hollywood stars Margot Robbie and Isla Fisher, Ms Pennington said being in Palm Beach felt "very magical".

"It's just such a beautiful place to film and everyone is so lovely and welcoming and it really is like being in one big family."

As for her character Lacey, the actor found some similarities between herself and the rebellious newcomer.

"Lacey is definitely a bad girl, but she has a really good heart. I see a bit of myself in her. It's been a lot of fun to play, though also a bit of a challenge."

Also joining the Summer Bay family is fellow Aussie actor Ryan Bown, who brings a new cheeky and spontaneous character, Sonny.

"It's like one big wacky family, and everyone welcomed me with open arms. I'm super excited to be working on such an iconic show," Mr Bown said.


https://www.instagram.com/ryanbown/?hl=en

[Pantherboy]

The DS article (with photos):


Home and Away announces two new characters for 2025
Say hello to Lacey and Sonny

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/home-and-away/a63403302/home-and-away-lacey-sonny-2025/

Home and Away spoilers follow from Australian-pace episodes, which some UK viewers may prefer to avoid.

Home and Away has announced two new characters who will be joining the soap in 2025.

Viewers will see some fresh, new faces later this year when Sonny and Lacey arrive in Summer Bay.

Described as a "charming", "impulsive" and "fun-loving" party boy, Sonny is an old childhood friend of Remi Carter. Meanwhile, Lacey is a "wild child" with ties to the infamous River Boys, and is set to make "quite the entrance" before her intriguing story unfolds.

Lacey will be played by actor Sophea Pennington, who has recently starred in the 2022 Rick Donald series comedy Roast Night, as well as Rebel Wilson's upcoming feature film The Deb.

Sonny will be played by actor Ryan Bown, who is known for his roles in Perfect Addiction, The Strangers, and the upcoming survival thriller Deep Water.

Both characters will begin appearing on UK screens during the first quarter of 2025. But will the residents of Summer Bay be ready for them?

In other Home and Away news, another newcomer is set to join the cast as Craig Hall, from fellow Australian soap Neighbours, will be making an appearance in the Bay.

The actor will be playing detective sergeant Mark Townsend in Cash Newman's dark new year storyline. In the Australian-paced November season finale, the police officer woke to find his hands covered in blood, while Tim Russell lay unconscious nearby.

Upcoming episodes will see Mark setting his suspicions on Cash as he investigates Tim's attack. But after his shocking arrest, will Cash be able to piece together what actually happened?

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5, with repeat screenings at 6pm on 5STAR and first-look screenings at 6.30pm on 5STAR. Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK.

In Australia, the show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7pm on Channel 7 and streams on 7Plus.

[Pantherboy]

Nowtolove.com.au article (I have also posted this article in the Lacey/Sophia thread):


Home and Away has two new faces - and they're set to shake up Summer Bay
Double trouble.

https://www.nowtolove.com.au/entertainment/home-and-away/home-and-away-sophea-pennington-ryan-bown/

When Ryan Bown and Sophea Pennington got the call to join the cast of Home And Away, they were both on the other side of the world. In separate countries, they dropped everything to come home. Upon landing, their lives had completely changed.

"I left for a holiday the day after my audition and chemistry test," Sophea tells TV WEEK. "But as part of the [acting] process, you tend to leave the audition behind once it's done. I woke up in Toronto [Canada] with an offer and I was on set two weeks later!"

Meanwhile, in London, Ryan was facing a crossroads. He and his partner Natalie Spence, who's also an actor, had been 'kicked out' of their apartment and were looking for a temporary place to stay. That same day, Summer Bay came calling.

"The timing was wild," Ryan, 31, explains. "My landlord was selling our apartment, so we had to leave. The day we moved was the day of my final audition. We were in an empty apartment with a bottle of champagne and pizza waiting until midnight to do my final round over Zoom. Two days later, I got the offer."

Having been away from family and friends for five years, the timing of the offer was somewhat serendipitous. But it wasn't without some deliberation. Ryan, a graduate of the Howard Fine Acting Studio, had begun to find success in the UK with roles in Everything I Know About Love, among others.

"It's a huge move," the Sydney-born actor says. "I love London and my partner is British, so it involved her coming over as well. But she was the one who got me over the line. She said, 'I'm keen for the adventure. Let's go'. Three days later, I flew home."

Despite the world at their feet, both Ryan and Sophea knew the opportunity was too good to pass up. After growing up in Singapore for six years with her family, Sophea set her sights on the screen. She went on to study at NIDA [National Institute of Dramatic Art] before taking a shot at the industry. But despite her early success at just 22, Sophea admits to experiencing 'imposter syndrome' on the set of Home And Away.

"This show is iconic, everyone knows it so I'm incredibly lucky," she says.

The actress, who makes her H&A debut in March, will bring fresh drama to Summer Bay as 'wild child' Lacey, whose ties to the River Boys will cause some upheaval in the community.

"She's a bit of a bad girl but has a good heart," Sophea teases. "The minute I got the character breakdown for Lacey, I felt like I could play her. It's fun to play someone who's got an edge."

While less dramatic than Sophea's entrance, Ryan is thrilled to play Sonny, who comes to Summer Bay to reunite with best mate Remi (Adam Rowland).

"Sonny is a more cheeky, outlandish version of myself," Ryan says with a laugh. "So, I knew I could do something with the role. It felt like the universe had opened up."

Ryan teases that a 'few challenges' are set test Sonny's loyalty and expose his background - all of which he can't wait to dive into. Sophea echoes her co-star's thoughts, adding that she's readying herself for the next chapter.

"I haven't quite found my feet yet," she says with a laugh. "But I'm ready to ride the wave!"

[Pantherboy]

DS article:


Why Home and Away scrapped 'towel drop' scene for show newcomer
New arrival Sonny almost bared all.

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/home-and-away/a63818707/home-and-away-scrapped-towel-drop-scene-sonny/

Home and Away spoilers follow from Australian-pace episodes, which some UK viewers may prefer to avoid.

New Home and Away star Ryan Bown has revealed why the soap scrapped a planned 'towel drop' scene for his character which would have aired in his very first episode.

It was announced in January that Summer Bay would soon be gaining two new residents in the forms of Sonny and Lacey, with Sonny being introduced as an old childhood friend of Remi Carter's.

His debut episode has aired in Australia today, with Sonny first being introduced as he gets out of the shower and is confronted by Kirby Aramoana.

While Sonny's very first on-screen appearance sees him appear topless, Bown revealed during an appearance on Australia's The Morning Show that the scene was originally meant to go further.

"Funny enough, that was written as a towel drop scene initially," he said. "The camera would be behind with my legs below and the towel would drop, but the director was like, 'You know what, too many towel drops, no more towel drops'."

The actor went on to tease what we can expect from Sonny, calling him "fun-loving", "charming" and "cheeky".

"He gets up to a bit of mischief but he's got a really good heart," he added.

While Sonny has now made his debut in Australia, UK fans will have to wait until April to see his first scenes.

Bown was joined on The Morning Show by his fellow Summer Bay newcomer Sophea Pennington, who is taking on the role of "wild child" Lacey.

While Lacey won't arrive on Australian screens for a few more weeks, the show also provided a teaser of what we can expect from her, with her first scene seemingly featuring her flirting with Theo Poulos.

"Lacey comes on with the River Boys, so she's a bit of a wild child, very fun, but she does have a good heart," she said. "And she does come on and catch Theo's eye and they have a bit of an instant connection."

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5, with repeat screenings at 6pm on 5STAR and first-look screenings at 6.30pm on 5STAR. Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK.

In Australia, the show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7pm on Channel 7 and streams on 7Plus.