EXCLUSIVE: Home and Away star Georgie Parker talks how her temporary break from the show has landed her character in a coma and opens up about her health battle and rise to fame
A parasite from South America was brought back by Georgie Parker’s character Roo Stewart the last time she left Summer Bay to appear in a play as Georgie Parker! This time, Roo was injured in a vehicle explosion to give Georgie a brief break from our screens so she could make an appearance in a Sydney theatrical performance.
Georgie explains, “Roo usually goes to see her mom when I go to do a play, or she’s recovering from something — this time she was blown up.
It’s a good predicament to leave Marilyn in, and it’s also rather humorous. She is in a terrible scenario where her companion, who was trying to assist her, has been hurt and it appears that they are both in danger of dying.
The bomb that Stunning Organics sent caused the explosion. Since Marilyn Chambers attempted to break her contract and was subsequently threatened by the firm, they have been at odds with her.
When Marilyn received a parcel containing a bomb, the plot took a darker turn than anticipated. John Palmer and Roo, however, were injured in the explosion.
“The stunt was great,” says Georgie. “With a long-running program like Home and Away, every now and then you need those major episodes when a lot happens so the aftereffect of that drama plays out for the following few months.
“If you ever see an old car on television, it will suffer a terrible fate. We blew up John’s old Kombi while he was operating it. It actually burned and exploded.
Following Justine Clarke in 2010, Georgie is the second actress to play Roo, Alf and Martha Stewart’s kid.
Georgie claims, “I never planned my career.” “There are many reasons why someone would choose a position like this. When my kid was 10 years old and in school, I signed because I wanted to spend every evening at home. I didn’t want that lifestyle while my daughter was little because an actor on the gig circuit typically travels constantly.
Since their marriage in 1999, Georgie and screenwriter Steve Worland have had a daughter, Holly, who was born in September of the following year.
“My daughter is a beautiful artist and she’s about to study game design and development,” says Georgie. “She has an absurd talent; my husband and I both say, ‘She didn’t acquire it from me. We have a highly creative family because my husband is also a screenwriter. He authored the very popular Australian movie Paper Planes.
Although Georgie’s longest role is on Home and Away, she started performing at a young age and rose to fame in Australia.
Georgie states, “I began acting when I was 18 and have been doing TV regularly since I was 22.” “Because I began in theater and miniseries, I frequently received work and enjoyed it. When I signed with A Country Practice at age 23, I began spending every night in people’s houses. Suddenly, I started hearing ‘Lucy’, the name of my character, being called out to me.
“I truly struggled because I thought my right to privacy in public had been taken away. However, once you understand it, you realize that since you are so lucky, you should be grateful about it. Although I do establish boundaries, neither my kid nor my husband have been made public figures. My private life is very much mine and that’s the way I’ve always seen it.”
Georgie keeps her family’s affairs private, but she has been very forthcoming about her health, particularly dealing with scoliosis.
Georgie recalls, “When I was little, I was hit by a car. “My rib cage is seated in my pelvis, and my spine is one flawless C curve. I’m still relatively mobile, but it’s very disgusting. People sometimes wonder why Roo wears such baggy clothing, and the answer is that I have to cover my body because I have dropped four centimeters in height.
Roo hasn’t had as much luck in love as Georgie, who has been married for 24 years. She divorced her first and second husbands, Frank Morgan and Harvey Ryan, in 2014.
She laments, “Roo’s had plenty of chances to fall in love, but for some reason it never lasts.” I loved Cameron Daddo (Owen Davidson), who was the last character she had.
But for whatever reason, they decided against pursuing a romance between Roo and Owen because the stars weren’t in their favor. He’s such a lovely guy, so I was very upset to hear that. He was a perfect fit for our “no pain in the arse policy.”
The 34-year-old television serial Home and Away has officially won the prestigious Logie Award for Most Popular Drama serial.
“We were so pumped because it’s two years in a row that we’ve won,” says Georgie. “The red carpet isn’t my bag really, I’m not big on fuss, but I wore a beautiful dress this year that felt fantastic. Emily (Symons who plays Marilyn) came too, she always looks amazing and Ray (Meagher, who plays Alf Stewart) always wears the same suit.
“Ray and I are best buddies. I cherish the relationship we have. I want to stay put as long as he’s going to really, and then, who knows. Also, Em and I get along really well. I value those friendships so much because they’re so hard to find.”
