Luke Van Os – the cousin of Hollywood actors Chris and Luke Hemsworth – has joined the cast of Home and Away.
Chris’ role as Kim Hyde from 2004 to 2007 will be remembered by long-time viewers of the Channel Seven drama, and now his cousin Luke will be joining the cast.
Luke said on Instagram, “I’m so pleased to finally announce that I will be joining the @homeandaway crew.”
“My character, Xander, has a close relationship with one of Summer Bay’s most popular residents. I can’t express my gratitude enough to the incredible cast, staff, and @channel7 for making me feel so welcome in this long-running family.”
Luke also thanked his friends, family, and staff for their support over this “long trip,” and stated that now is the time to get to work.
“In 2022, look for Xander on the big screen,” he continued.
Xander, his character, is described as “a mystery guy who arrives in the Bay in quest of answers.”
Xander is also said to be a related of a Summer Bay favourite, though no information on who that relative could be have been published.
Luke told to The Daily Telegraph how his famous cousin helped him prepare for his Home and Away audition. Luke is linked to Chris and his siblings through his father, who is the brother of their mother Leonie.
“I actually met with Chris the night before when I was asked for a callback for the chemistry test and we ran it (the scene) and sort of just got into a nice mood,” he told the outlet.
“His advise was to be pleasant, put in the effort, and the job doesn’t stop now; in fact, now is the time to work even harder.”
The 24-year-old actor, who has roles in films such as Banana Split, Dancer, Dirt Blood, and Ominous, said that while he has been auditioning and performing for eight years, now is where the real work begins.
“Acting has always been my love, and to be able to make a career, pay my bills, and do this every day is a dream come true,” Luke added.
“Numbers of individuals have come and done this programme and gone on to have really lengthy careers, and I’m just hoping that’s what I can do for as long as I can.”
He also stated that his relatives had “laid the path” for him by providing him with valuable advice and assistance throughout his career.
He responded, “I am lucky.”
The actor has already started filming sequences for the show and appears to be getting along well with his co-stars.
Luke celebrated his birthday with Nicholas Cartwright, Jacqui Purvis, Kawakawa Fox-Reo, Matt Evans, and Courtney Ally from the Home and Away cast over the weekend.
He captioned the photo, which included a sequence of photographs with everyone, “Epic birthday dinner last night #teppanya.”
Luke will have the support of his real-life family and girlfriend Tonia Miragliotta in addition to his new Summer Bay family.
