Bernard Curry is no stranger to the screen, having starred in Australian classics such as Home & Away, Neighbours, and Wentworth, as well as dabbling in international entertainment during a brief appearance on American YA thriller Pretty Little Liars.
Now, the 47-year-old has entered a new sort of drama…. reality TV drama, as she joins other famous figures like Caitlyn Jenner and Donald Trump’s former political assistant, Omarosa, in the all-new Big Brother VIP hotel.
There’s no denying that his most recent TV appearance is a little different from the rest of his resume. So, how has Bernard’s acting career fared up to this point? So, how about his private life?
What has Bernard Curry been in?
Bernard’s breakthrough role was Luke Handley in the hit serial opera Neighbours in 1995. Summer Bay was his home for a little over a year, and he returned in 2005 for the show’s 20th anniversary.
In 2009, he had a brief appearance as Vishnu on Seven’s Packed to the Rafters before presenting Beauty & The Geek until 2012, and in the latter year, he played Jamie Doyle in three episodes of Pretty Little Liars.
His most well-known roles, though, came during his stint on Home & Away and Wentworth.
Home & Away
Summer Bay alum Hugo Austin joined H&A in 2009 as a character before departing a year later.
His on-screen romance with Martha MacKenzie will be remembered by fans (played by Jodi Gordon). To avoid people-trafficking thugs, the couple was compelled to abandon the beachy town.
Bernard indicated in a 2020 interview with Radio Times that there’s always a chance he’ll return to both Home & Away and Neighbours.
“I would definitely consider returning to both programmes if given the chance.” “It’s been a long time since I was on Neighbours, but it was a fantastic experience and a massive learning curve,” the actor remarked.
“I had a great time on Home and Away.” I was living in Bondi Beach with my wife at the time, and it was wonderful to travel to the Summer Bay site in Palm Beach, visit the catering truck, and eat lunch in the sunshine. It brightened up a dull afternoon at work!”
Wentworth
Bernard’s most well-known role was as Jake Stewart in the prison drama Wentworth, which aired its final episode on October 26th this year.
In a 2018 interview with Out in Perth, the 47-year-old called the gig “one of the finest events of (his) life.”
“It’s on a personal level in terms of the job I’ve been able to do, the scripts we’ve been given – which are very well thought out… and the individuals I’ve been able to work with.”
Bernard Curry’s brothers
Bernard is the brother of fellow actor Stephen Curry, 45, and producer Andrew Curry, 49, so the talent gene runs in the family.
Stephen has a long acting career, having starred in the drama series The Secret Life of Us and in the film The King as Graham Kennedy. He was a member of the rotating cast for the critically acclaimed Australian drama series Redfern Now from 2012 to 2013.
Rove Live, Thank God You’re Here, Spicks and Specks, and Talkin’ ’bout Your Generation are among his other credits. He’s currently appearing in the Paramount+ Australia original series, Spreadsheet. The list of entertainers goes on and on.
Andrew, on the other hand, is a producer and actor who has appeared in a number of drama and comedy programmes on television.
iCandy Productions was created in 2007 by the Curry brothers’ eldest brother, Cameron Nugent, and a business partner. He played Woody again in Neighbours three years later. He has worked as a producer in a variety of capacities since then.
In 2001, tragedy hit the family when one of their best friends, Matt Wardlaw, one of five brothers, committed himself following a long battle with bipolar affective illness.
As a result of the tragic tragedy, a foundation titled One in Five was founded in Matt’s honour. According to the Herald Sun, the organisation “aims to raise awareness and funds for research towards cures — rather than merely treatments – for mental disease.”
Bernard and Stephen both underlined the necessity of being vulnerable when it comes to sharing personal tales in order to nurture our mental wellness in a joint interview with the same journal.
“I am certain that the best way to de-stigmatize mental illness is to have an open discourse about it.” There are a million things to divert our attention from; a million ways to escape. However, there is one thing we can’t get away from: ourselves. “We all need to be able to communicate with one another,” Stephen explained.
Bernard is also raising money for One in Five during his time on Big Brother VIP.
Bernard Curry’s wife and kids
Bernard has formed a close family unit with his wife Sonya and his two boys, Fox, 11, and Banjo, nine, in addition to his close ties with his siblings.
While working as a venue and stage manager for The Famous Spiegeltent, the actor met the future mother of his children. Bernard, who was instantly smitten by Sonya, told New Idea in 2018 that he was willing to leave everything behind to be with her.
“‘My life is nomadic, and I live on the road,’ she explained. ‘Would you want to join us?’ So I joined the circus and fled away, which was rather romantic. “We spent two years with the circus travelling around the world and had a great time,” the now-47-year-old stated.
Bernard was so intrigued by Sonya that he first struggled to get the courage to speak to her.
“Bernie’s first sentence was ‘I’m Steve’s brother,'” Sonya recounted of their first meeting to New Idea. ‘Steve is such a nice person, so I’ll let you complete your talk,’ I reasoned. ‘The rest, as they say, is history.’
In May 2010, the couple brought their first child, Fox, into the world, and eight months later, they married in the garden of their family beach property in Rye, Victoria.
“It was a fantastic day.” “Fox was our tiny ring-bearer,” Sonya said, adding that they had approximately 140 guests and a jazz band for the wedding.
Banjo, the couple’s second son, was born not long after, and he is now nine years old.
Having children brought the couple closer together, and Sonya says they’re now “even more of an unified front.”
