There’s a new bad boy in town, and his name is Cantona Stewart.
The 28-year-old newcomer hit Summer Bay with a bang last month, playing troubled youngster Perri, and he’s set to cause even more of a stir this year.
Talking to TV WEEK, Cantona admits that landing the role was a dream come true.
“You can only dream of having the chance to work on what most would say is the pinnacle and pillar of television here,” Cantona gushes. “To receive that phone call to say you’re moving to Sydney to work on Home And Away was numbing. I’ll treasure the whole experience for the entirety of my career.”
Cantona’s path so far has been short but sweet. His first gig was as the stand-in for a younger version of Jason Mamoa’s character Arthur in 2016 Hollywood superhero blockbuster Aquaman, before a role alongside Ioan Gruffudd in drama Harrow in 2018 and in 2022 Aussie Netflix hit Surviving Summer.
Nothing, however, could prepare Cantona for Australia’s longest-running dramas, Home And Away.
“Nothing can prepare you for the workload and discipline you need for this show,” he says. “To wake up each day with a script in hand and the opportunity to work with some of the greatest actors and directors in the country is surreal – a real pinch-me moment. It was more than I envisioned and I’m sure that whatever is next won’t compare to my experience in the Bay.”
Cantona says the cast helped calm any nerves he had – New Zealand-born actor Ethan Browne in particular, who, much like his character Tane is to Perri in Home And Away, served as Cantona’s mentor.
“I’d known Ethan for a few years now, so having the chance to reconnect with him was great,” he says. “He was a mentor for me and helped guide me through the processes on the show.”
The actor, who is of Maori descent, says he can’t wait for audiences to get to know Perri this year, particularly because he played a strong part in shaping the character.
“I had many conversations with the script department, directors, friends and whanau [extended family] back home in New Zealand that helped me develop a foundation for Perri,” he explains
“An important question I asked myself was ‘who?’ Who can relate to Perri, and what is my due diligence [when it comes] to that audience member?”
He adds that portraying a Pacific Islander living in Australia was at the forefront of his mind.
“Culture for Pacific Islanders/Maoris is paramount,” Cantona says. “For those like me, growing up in Australia, we may not have had the day-to-day touchstones of culture we would have had back in our home countries, in schools and sporting teams.
“It’s the little things we miss out on that we long for and wish to connect with.”
While filming for this season may have wrapped for now, Cantona says he’s jumping at the chance to return.
“Summer Bay is a dream world to live in,” he says, envisioning a plotline where “Tane gets into trouble, or possibly kidnapped, and Perri – with the martial arts training Tane has given him – comes back to the Bay and rescues him Liam Neeson-style.”
