What is it like filming a shooting scene on Home and Away?
The 52-year-old actor told us that these scenes come with their own level of “personal and real” considerations for audiences.
“While [shootings] are more real in America, of course, it occurs here in Australia too,” said Taylor. “You have to look after yourself, you work with the stunt coordinator, you work with the director, and the cameras, and there are great stunt people on set.
“You also have to be careful with bringing up trauma for viewers as a scene like this can raise a lot of past trauma for them.”
However, he also described the excitement that can come from ensuring a scene as heavy as this is honoured to the best of production’s ability.
“It’s also exciting shooting a scene like this,” Taylor said. “For example, it was Rocco [Forrester-Sach]’s first time holding a gun as Richie, which was new and took a lot of work to get used to and make sure the scene was as authentic as possible.”
Jeremy Lindsay Taylor’s ‘wild’ Home and Away journey
Taylor also commented on what it was like to approach “the instability of not knowing if [his character] will make it” and how he used his “personal experience as a father” to add tension to the scene.
“I also considered what the experience would be like for both of David’s daughters, Lacey Miller and Jo Langham,” he said. “Hospitals aren’t a great place for the Langham family, but luckily, we have a new doctor played by the incredible Nicole Da Silva on the scene, so that provides relief for audiences.
“For scenes like this, I just try to approach it as authentically as possible.”
While he’s excited to see the show “get so much reception” and is blown away by how the soap continues to resonate with people, what has surprised Taylor the most is how his family has been able to connect with the story and characters.
“My children are watching the show now, which is wild,” he said. “Because I remember watching the show growing up, and now I’m starring in it, and my kids can watch the journey from the start.”
