Home and Away' Lisa Gormley teases Bianca's future: Interview
Home and Away's Bianca Scott has spent another year at the forefront of storylines, with plots including her turbulent on-off romance with Liam Murphy (Axle Whitehead), passionate spark with bad boy Heath Braxton (Dan Ewing) and dramas with sister April (Rhiannon Fish).
As Home and Away returns to UK screens later this month, there's more troubles ahead for Bianca as Liam wakes up from his coma - and she is forced to continue lying about his accident to protect Charlie and Brax. However, things soon look brighter for the couple as they agree to make the ultimate commitment to each other.
In real life, Yorkshire-born actress Lisa Gormley - who plays Bianca - recently flew out from Sydney to spend Christmas with relatives in the UK. During her trip, Lisa caught up with Digital Spy to discuss all things Bianca.
How are you enjoying your time in the UK?
"I'm loving it. It is very much home for me - I've always loved England, I love all the history. Also, as I was born here, I have some family here so I really love it - especially up north. I've been up in Wakefield so it was great to hear the accent again and spend some time with the family. It's very easy to fit back into the British way of life!
"I have a pretty small family, so it's been me, mum and dad in Australia since I was a child, but I have a cousin, aunty and uncle over here in the UK. My cousin has just had a baby, so that was my incentive to come back this Christmas. Prior to that, we came over in 1996 for about six months, and I also lived over here for three years on my own, in Henley-on-Thames. It's good to be back!"
Have you been recognised by many of the UK Home and Away fans during your stay?
"Yes, the main time was when I went to the Next Boxing Day sales! I was standing in line at 6am, and I had a few beautiful people coming up to me then. They had enough time to stand next to me and realise that they knew me from somewhere, as we were standing in line for about three hours! So I had a good chat with them. It's nice that people love the show over here too."
When Home and Away returns here in the UK later this month, Liam wakes from his coma and Bianca has to lie to him about the accident. How does she feel about that?
"Bianca feels like she's caught between a rock and a hard place. Brax and Heath pretty much decided her fate for her, while she was busy with her emotional trauma! They've put her in a really awkward position, but now she's having to go along with the lies and play the game.
"If she doesn't, she'll get in trouble herself - and everyone she knows will get in trouble too. Bianca is protecting herself and those around her, but she's really disappointed in Charlie and Brax as they've forced her to lie to the man that she loves. She's obviously realised that she still loves Liam, but she's having to rebuild their relationship on a very sour note, which isn't pleasant."
Moving forward, do you think Liam is going to be the best match for Bianca?
"I do think he's the healthiest match, yes! I think it's true love. While there is a raw sexual attraction that Bianca shares with Heath, ultimately she loves Liam and he's very good for her - when he's not on drugs or in rehab! She's almost lost him in the past, so she's really determined to make a go of it this time and move forward. For a while, Liam gets stuck into a stage of, 'I'm still a boy - let me play with my motorbike!', but Bianca wants to move forward in the relationship - so they need to get on the same page."
That leads up to a marriage proposal from Liam to Bianca - and they get engaged! Are you glad that they're making such a big commitment to each other?
"Yeah, I am glad. Obviously Bianca is not expecting it - the signals that she's been getting are that Liam is still a child and they don't want the same things. So the proposal is the last thing she expects, but when she gets it, she is just over the moon. Bianca thought that the relationship could be over as they wanted different things, so when the proposal happens, it's mindblowing for her. It's a good thing and I'm very happy that he's pulled his finger out and done the right thing."
How did you feel about the Bianca and Heath relationship?
"Well, when they first told me that Bianca and Heath would hook up, I couldn't see it and I thought, 'Really?' Bianca seemed like such a sophisticated and grown-up character, while Heath is the sexy new thing in the Bay. But to put them together created brilliant drama, and it turned out that me and Dan have fantastic chemistry when we work together. So it was a bit of a shock, but I really liked it. It was nice to explore that temptation - it wasn't love but it was a raw sexual energy and very passionate."
Liam and Heath both have edgy sides, so is that part of the appeal for Bianca?
"I think Bianca grew up being a relatively good girl - she had to follow what her parents wanted, be very sophisticated and end up with well-to-do boys who were very safe. So I think when she finds people like Liam and Heath, who are ready to challenge her and have some banter, it really excites her. She likes the fiery side of them, but ultimately I think Bianca wants what every woman wants - which is the white picket fence and to live happily ever after."
Does Bianca still worry that Liam could have a relapse when it comes to his drugs problem?
"I think it's something that's always going to be there between them. Everyone has faults and she's willing to let that go, but it's always going to be there and Liam really did break her heart when he started lying to her, because she would have stuck by him no matter what.
"Even though Liam did have a problem, she would have stuck by him through rehab and helped him. But the fact that he shut her out and tried to hide it from her will always be in the back of Bianca's mind. They could struggle with this again in the future, but we'll see!"
Liam is having to change for Bianca in many ways, but are there ways in which she'll have to change for him too?
"I think she needs to relax just that little bit more! But I think she has changed since she joined the show and become a more relaxed human being. If the wedding goes ahead, it'll be very different to the Vittorio wedding. She doesn't need the same things that she used to need, like the money and the trappings. For Bianca, it'll be a lot more based on friends and family now, rather than money."
There's also been lots of rumours that Bianca will be pregnant this year. Can you confirm or deny at the moment?
"Well, apparently there's photo evidence out there, so it's difficult to deny it! I can't really say at the moment - but there could be a bump in someone's future. It may be Bianca's! And if it is Bianca, who knows who the father is? That would be a whole new story!"
If Bianca was to have a baby, what kind of mother would she be?
"I think she likes the idea of children, but whether she's enough of a fully formed human being to deal with it would be a whole new story. Would she be grown up enough to bring another person into the world?"
Here in the UK, we'll also soon see April and Heath decide to have a one-night stand. How would Bianca react if she ever found out about it?
"Remember that really vicious, nasty Bianca that came into the Bay? She comes back for a while! Everyone assumes it's a jealousy thing, but ultimately Heath has not been a good influence on Bianca's life. So obviously she wants to protect friends from that, and she definitely wants to protect her little sister from getting involved in that kind of situation. If Bianca finds out, I can guarantee it will be a venomous event! And Heath most definitely will feel the wrath, which is always fun!"
Will we carry on seeing more of April's rebellious side?
"Well, in the past, April has been rebellious in her own intellectual ways, so I think it's time that she rebels in her private life now. The bad girl can be in all of us, and I think it's just her turn. It's actually really good for Rhiannon to get the opportunity to do that, because she has always been the good girl. As an actress, it's nice for her to get the opportunity to explore the character's naughty side.
"It also causes drama between the two sisters. There always is drama, but this time it's April being the fiery one and Bianca has to be the moral conscience for a change."
What else can we look forward to from Home and Away in 2012?
"There'll be some big fallout from the things that have happened in 2011, and there's some really great things coming up. There's some contrasting things, too - there's a lot of joy followed by a lot of trauma. We don't do things by halves in Home and Away - we go all the way, and then we go all the other way! There'll be a lot of great character interaction and great drama."
What are your hobbies and interests outside of the show?
"I'm not overly dramatic in my social life, but I love a bit of dancing so I'll either go to a salsa class or I'll find a hip-hop class. Sydney Dance Company do some great hip-hop classes, so I'll go there with a mate. I also like going to see shows and live bands. I love anything that's really artsy and social. But with the workload on Home and Away, I also spend a lot of downtime relaxing and doing nothing!"
How long would you like to stay in Home and Away for?
"I will have been on the show for two years in March. I hadn't done any film or television before I joined the show, so it's been an amazing journey, I've learned a lot and I'm not wishing for it to end anytime soon. In the long-term, coming over here to the UK has reignited my interest in the whole BBC costume drama world, which is done so well here. That's always been my ambition.
"I also walked to the Globe Theatre the other day and just started crying, which is quite pathetic! It was like finding the Holy Grail! I'd love to come and work in the UK - it's always been a passion of mine, because ultimately it's home."
Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe
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