Abigail
07-04-2008, 18:05
Put this in spoilers because there are a fair few in here for UK viewers.
Conrad Coleby gives the inside scoop on Roman and Martha’s relationship.
Roman’s been attracting a few admirers since hitting the Bay, even Colleen’s been eyeing up his toned torso on the beach…. But move over Colleen, Martha’s moved on in and romance is “hot” on the agenda. But it’s not only romance that’s heating up for the ex SAS trouper, Roman’s daughter Nicole isheading to the Bay, played by Tessa James, to add just a bit more spice to his life.
We talk to Roman about love, secrets and being a Dad in Summer Bay.
”I love having a daughter on the show. It’s fantastic, she’s such a great actress and she really puts a lot of energy in to the role and brings a nice spice to the Bay. Her character is pretty fiery and shakes things up a bit. She brings a nice dynamic and friction to the Bay, and in Roman’s life too,” Conrad said.
“He’s just a guy working in a restaurant otherwise, and throwing her in to this mix and suddenly becoming a parent and having a daughter turn up that you’ve never known, it’s interesting. It’s been great for me as an actor as it’s my first Dad role, I’m still pretty young - I’m only 28 - so I’ve really been enjoying it.”
“It’s fun to play the Dad role and tell her off and also be understanding. I try not to be too much of an older-style parent, cause I am the new generation parent, so Roman needs to be more diplomatic in the way he deals with things and take it from a youthful angle, cause I’m much closer to her in age than most parents are,” he added.
Roman’s past as an SAS trouper is a dangerous and flighty one, and something which he can never share with anyone he gets close to, not even Martha, so putting a lid on his past while still remaining honest and open can be quite a challenge. Conrad talks about finding inspiration for his character in everyday places.
“I met a couple of real SAS guys, quite by chance actually. It’s really funny, it’s happened to me with every role that I’ve played. All of a sudden I bump in to a person I am playing. Actually before I started this job I had some experience helping a guy out in a kitchen, so I knew a bit about cooking as well which is really weird,” he said.
“Meeting the SAS guys was really interesting. Obviously they can’t speak about what they’ve done,” Conrad said. “I was with my mates in a pub when they introduced me to this guy who happened to be an SAS team leader, so that’s the weird thing, these people are among us and you have no idea. And he just seemed like an average guy like me. He seemed pretty cool and laid-back, and didn’t seem like the kind of guy that would shoot people. So that influenced the way I played Roman to a degree, knowing they are normal people who have done pretty extraordinary things. Roman can’t divulge much. What I found when I was talking to this SAS guy is that it’s not like they are rude about it, you can just tell there is a line that you don’t cross with asking questions. It’s really apparent although it’s really soft and unspoken,” he remarked.
“I ride a motorbike and that’s pretty dangerous, so you get to feel what its like to deal with danger as a person, because Roman would’ve had to deal with real danger. So you can hyper-extend natural experiences in life and bring them to the character I guess.”
Roman’s past does surface in the Bay when he finds himself having to draw on his experience for the sake of love.
”His past does come up, and he uses some of his ex SAS mates to help with a murder case and the implications for Martha, so some of his training comes in handy there.”
Candlelit dinners are a bit of a Roman speciality, so does Conrad like to go all out for that special someone?
Yeah I like to think I do, I give it a bash every now and again. I think it’s a nice thing to do for a girl, to make a nice dinner and surprise her, to make her feel special,” he said.
Roman’s not only a fine cook, he’s also got great taste in women, managing to attract the attention of the stunning Martha in the Bay, does he feel lucky?
”Yes, yes, lucky me,” he agrees.
Can he kiss and tell?
“Well they keep it pretty ‘G’ rated at Home and Away, but really it’s all part of the job I suppose, getting to kiss Martha. It’s great working with Jodi, we get on really well and that’s why things are easy really, we’re professionals, which is good. Those things are always weird to do, with anybody, and it’s just about becoming comfortable with each other and Jodi was really easy to work with.”
Well she has had a lot of practice in the Bay!
”Yeah yeah, she has! That’s funny,” he said.
So should Roman be worried about Jack?
“I think Roman’s oblivious to Jack. He knows their history and thinks its well in the past. He thinks Martha has moved on and is in to him now,” Conrad said.
”I don’t think he sees it coming, that Martha is still hung up on Jack, until the stuff hits the fan with Sam. That’s when he starts to pick up that she’s still quite close to him and more than just old friends,” he adds.
He’s caught in a hard position because he obliviously wants to allow her to be supportive of Jack whose going through an awful time in his life. So he doesn’t want to be the jealous, idiot boyfriend who’s been in her life for five minutes. So he tries to be as understanding as he can, but at the same time there is something niggling in his mind, something is telling him that maybe there is more to Jack and Martha than he initially thought. So that’s where his wariness comes in and then it becomes more and more intense as things progress,” he admits.
He’s caught between a rock and a hard place, because he has to be supportive and help her through a really tough time. And then she gets implicated in the murder, so the last thing he would really want to do is get upset about her connection with Jack. So he can’t really object until there is a reason to do so. So it’s not until Martha starts to really go beyond the call of being supportive that feelings of jealousy are triggered.”
Does Conrad find the fans are eager to see his character lose out to Jack?
No, because it’s really early days on TV right now with Roman and Martha. And I haven’t met too many fans as yet. It will be really interesting when I do start to hear what the fans have to say about it,” he said.
Conrad keeps himself busy outside of the Bay working away on various projects, exercising his vocal cords and finding solace in like-minded friends.
“I really love music, and I’m training my voice at the moment, preparing myself for things in the pipeline. I’ve done a musical before but I’ve never had any real professional singing training so I decided to train my voice and hopefully do something with it professionally down the track, whether that’s with a band or musical theatre or maybe even ‘It Takes Two’, I might even go down that road. Yeah, it’s another passion of mine. I even wrote a rap yesterday with my flatmate. I really love music, I play guitar,” Conrad said.
I just do one hour a week, mostly it’s just like practicing a musical instrument really. I’m really enjoying it and it’s doing wonders already. I think I’ve been pretty lucky, I was given a good voice to start with. I think it’s also because I played an instrument as a kid, if you are musical as a kid you tend to have a better ear when you’re older for singing, you are use to the differences in tone and pitches. It was good my parents forced me to pick up that clarinet and saxophone, and then I moved on to guitar when I was sixteen, as every teenage boy does, moves on to the rock!”
I also go to a meditation class every week with a group of people in Bondi. We just get together at a guys house, and it’s free. It’s basically a group where people connect every week and we do meditation and chi gong. It’s just a great way to reconnect with people and get out of your head and come down to earth because we live a pretty hectic life. It’s nice to get together. We sing at that group as well because there is so much power in singing to bring people together and let go of all your crap and just chill. I went to India with this group to a meditation retreat. It’s wonderful. It’s all out of the kindness of one guy’s heart,” Conrad said.
“And I love surfing and going to the beach. But I do stay at home a lot and work on a few projects I’ve got going,” he said.
Conrad is in the process of designing a t-shirt range which he hopes to release sometime in the near future.
“I do a bit of designing. I’ve got a whole concept for a label so I’m going to give that a go as well. It’s in its very infantile stage, but we’ve got a plan of action now and have put some designs together and we are sourcing where we are going to get them manufactured. I’m passionate about anything visual. I love drawing, and design. I guess I’m a little dissatisfied with what’s out there. I find it a bit copy-cattish. But I’ve got a whole idea for something that’s just a bit different in concept which I can’t divulge as it’s only in the early stages just yet,” he said.
Does Roman still get recognised as the “Milky Bar Kid”?
“Yeah I do, it became a huge thing when I was away on the meditation retreat. Yeah people get wind of it and all of a sudden they’re like, “were you the milky bar kid?” It’s pretty good actually, I don’t have to try for any awards or anything. I’ve already reached the highest peak. It’s amazing what people find the most exciting, I think that’s the thing people find the most exciting out of everything I’ve done so far in my career,” Conrad said.
Conrad Coleby gives the inside scoop on Roman and Martha’s relationship.
Roman’s been attracting a few admirers since hitting the Bay, even Colleen’s been eyeing up his toned torso on the beach…. But move over Colleen, Martha’s moved on in and romance is “hot” on the agenda. But it’s not only romance that’s heating up for the ex SAS trouper, Roman’s daughter Nicole isheading to the Bay, played by Tessa James, to add just a bit more spice to his life.
We talk to Roman about love, secrets and being a Dad in Summer Bay.
”I love having a daughter on the show. It’s fantastic, she’s such a great actress and she really puts a lot of energy in to the role and brings a nice spice to the Bay. Her character is pretty fiery and shakes things up a bit. She brings a nice dynamic and friction to the Bay, and in Roman’s life too,” Conrad said.
“He’s just a guy working in a restaurant otherwise, and throwing her in to this mix and suddenly becoming a parent and having a daughter turn up that you’ve never known, it’s interesting. It’s been great for me as an actor as it’s my first Dad role, I’m still pretty young - I’m only 28 - so I’ve really been enjoying it.”
“It’s fun to play the Dad role and tell her off and also be understanding. I try not to be too much of an older-style parent, cause I am the new generation parent, so Roman needs to be more diplomatic in the way he deals with things and take it from a youthful angle, cause I’m much closer to her in age than most parents are,” he added.
Roman’s past as an SAS trouper is a dangerous and flighty one, and something which he can never share with anyone he gets close to, not even Martha, so putting a lid on his past while still remaining honest and open can be quite a challenge. Conrad talks about finding inspiration for his character in everyday places.
“I met a couple of real SAS guys, quite by chance actually. It’s really funny, it’s happened to me with every role that I’ve played. All of a sudden I bump in to a person I am playing. Actually before I started this job I had some experience helping a guy out in a kitchen, so I knew a bit about cooking as well which is really weird,” he said.
“Meeting the SAS guys was really interesting. Obviously they can’t speak about what they’ve done,” Conrad said. “I was with my mates in a pub when they introduced me to this guy who happened to be an SAS team leader, so that’s the weird thing, these people are among us and you have no idea. And he just seemed like an average guy like me. He seemed pretty cool and laid-back, and didn’t seem like the kind of guy that would shoot people. So that influenced the way I played Roman to a degree, knowing they are normal people who have done pretty extraordinary things. Roman can’t divulge much. What I found when I was talking to this SAS guy is that it’s not like they are rude about it, you can just tell there is a line that you don’t cross with asking questions. It’s really apparent although it’s really soft and unspoken,” he remarked.
“I ride a motorbike and that’s pretty dangerous, so you get to feel what its like to deal with danger as a person, because Roman would’ve had to deal with real danger. So you can hyper-extend natural experiences in life and bring them to the character I guess.”
Roman’s past does surface in the Bay when he finds himself having to draw on his experience for the sake of love.
”His past does come up, and he uses some of his ex SAS mates to help with a murder case and the implications for Martha, so some of his training comes in handy there.”
Candlelit dinners are a bit of a Roman speciality, so does Conrad like to go all out for that special someone?
Yeah I like to think I do, I give it a bash every now and again. I think it’s a nice thing to do for a girl, to make a nice dinner and surprise her, to make her feel special,” he said.
Roman’s not only a fine cook, he’s also got great taste in women, managing to attract the attention of the stunning Martha in the Bay, does he feel lucky?
”Yes, yes, lucky me,” he agrees.
Can he kiss and tell?
“Well they keep it pretty ‘G’ rated at Home and Away, but really it’s all part of the job I suppose, getting to kiss Martha. It’s great working with Jodi, we get on really well and that’s why things are easy really, we’re professionals, which is good. Those things are always weird to do, with anybody, and it’s just about becoming comfortable with each other and Jodi was really easy to work with.”
Well she has had a lot of practice in the Bay!
”Yeah yeah, she has! That’s funny,” he said.
So should Roman be worried about Jack?
“I think Roman’s oblivious to Jack. He knows their history and thinks its well in the past. He thinks Martha has moved on and is in to him now,” Conrad said.
”I don’t think he sees it coming, that Martha is still hung up on Jack, until the stuff hits the fan with Sam. That’s when he starts to pick up that she’s still quite close to him and more than just old friends,” he adds.
He’s caught in a hard position because he obliviously wants to allow her to be supportive of Jack whose going through an awful time in his life. So he doesn’t want to be the jealous, idiot boyfriend who’s been in her life for five minutes. So he tries to be as understanding as he can, but at the same time there is something niggling in his mind, something is telling him that maybe there is more to Jack and Martha than he initially thought. So that’s where his wariness comes in and then it becomes more and more intense as things progress,” he admits.
He’s caught between a rock and a hard place, because he has to be supportive and help her through a really tough time. And then she gets implicated in the murder, so the last thing he would really want to do is get upset about her connection with Jack. So he can’t really object until there is a reason to do so. So it’s not until Martha starts to really go beyond the call of being supportive that feelings of jealousy are triggered.”
Does Conrad find the fans are eager to see his character lose out to Jack?
No, because it’s really early days on TV right now with Roman and Martha. And I haven’t met too many fans as yet. It will be really interesting when I do start to hear what the fans have to say about it,” he said.
Conrad keeps himself busy outside of the Bay working away on various projects, exercising his vocal cords and finding solace in like-minded friends.
“I really love music, and I’m training my voice at the moment, preparing myself for things in the pipeline. I’ve done a musical before but I’ve never had any real professional singing training so I decided to train my voice and hopefully do something with it professionally down the track, whether that’s with a band or musical theatre or maybe even ‘It Takes Two’, I might even go down that road. Yeah, it’s another passion of mine. I even wrote a rap yesterday with my flatmate. I really love music, I play guitar,” Conrad said.
I just do one hour a week, mostly it’s just like practicing a musical instrument really. I’m really enjoying it and it’s doing wonders already. I think I’ve been pretty lucky, I was given a good voice to start with. I think it’s also because I played an instrument as a kid, if you are musical as a kid you tend to have a better ear when you’re older for singing, you are use to the differences in tone and pitches. It was good my parents forced me to pick up that clarinet and saxophone, and then I moved on to guitar when I was sixteen, as every teenage boy does, moves on to the rock!”
I also go to a meditation class every week with a group of people in Bondi. We just get together at a guys house, and it’s free. It’s basically a group where people connect every week and we do meditation and chi gong. It’s just a great way to reconnect with people and get out of your head and come down to earth because we live a pretty hectic life. It’s nice to get together. We sing at that group as well because there is so much power in singing to bring people together and let go of all your crap and just chill. I went to India with this group to a meditation retreat. It’s wonderful. It’s all out of the kindness of one guy’s heart,” Conrad said.
“And I love surfing and going to the beach. But I do stay at home a lot and work on a few projects I’ve got going,” he said.
Conrad is in the process of designing a t-shirt range which he hopes to release sometime in the near future.
“I do a bit of designing. I’ve got a whole concept for a label so I’m going to give that a go as well. It’s in its very infantile stage, but we’ve got a plan of action now and have put some designs together and we are sourcing where we are going to get them manufactured. I’m passionate about anything visual. I love drawing, and design. I guess I’m a little dissatisfied with what’s out there. I find it a bit copy-cattish. But I’ve got a whole idea for something that’s just a bit different in concept which I can’t divulge as it’s only in the early stages just yet,” he said.
Does Roman still get recognised as the “Milky Bar Kid”?
“Yeah I do, it became a huge thing when I was away on the meditation retreat. Yeah people get wind of it and all of a sudden they’re like, “were you the milky bar kid?” It’s pretty good actually, I don’t have to try for any awards or anything. I’ve already reached the highest peak. It’s amazing what people find the most exciting, I think that’s the thing people find the most exciting out of everything I’ve done so far in my career,” Conrad said.