Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart have been pleasantly pleased by their characters’ storylines during their tenure on Home and Away, and it’s one of the reasons they’ve stayed on the programme for so long.
However, when James learned that their on-screen counterparts, Justin and Leah, would have a love narrative, he was eager to learn from the television legend.
“I’ve known Ray Meagher, Georgie Parker, Emily Symons, Shane Withington, Lynne McGranger, and Ada for years, and they’re outstanding professionals,” James, 46, adds.
“I’ve always wanted a consistent connection to carry through the dramatic tales, and I’ve got that now with Ada; it’s amazing, simple, and a lot of fun to portray.”
As their collaboration became closer, the two discovered amusing parallels between their personas in more ways than one.
“I’m not very good at keeping track of schedules, but Ada knows what’s going on weeks in advance, so we definitely have different strengths [laughs]. It always brings a smile to my face “According to James. “But, like our characters, we love and connect over our families. So we have a good time, then clock out and return home to our children.”
Ada, whose character has had her fair share of turmoil, says she now “much prefers” to play out nicer tales.
“In the lighter times, I have a lot of fun, especially now that Matt [Evans], who portrays Theo, has arrived. It’s a delightful family dynamic “Ada, 44, explains.
However, James jokes that Leah’s track record of spouses made him a little nervous!
“Justin’s inside joke is that numerous of Leah’s spouses have passed away [laughs]!” According to James.
Away from the Bay, Ada and James are getting ready to enjoy the holidays with their respective families. James, his nine-year-old daughter Scout, and his wife Sarah Roberts – who quit her role as Willow Harris in Home and Away earlier this year – are eager to join his extended family now that borders have reopened as a result of state lockdowns.
“We’ll go down to Melbourne to meet Scout’s mother [Love Child actress Jess Marais] and celebrate Christmas there, then fly up to the Gold Coast to visit my family,” he explains. “If we can, we attempt to see everyone.”
Ada, on the other hand, is taking things a little more slowly this holiday season, electing to spend it at home with her nine-year-old son Johnas and fiancé Adam Rigby. She anticipates “a lot of food, kids playing, and all of us simply enjoying each other’s company,” a valuable lesson she has learned from the worldwide pandemic’s effects.
“I reside in an area that the NSW government designated as a source of concern at one point, so I was forced into a holiday via lockdown, so I felt pretty refreshed [at work] while everyone else was fatigued!” With a laugh, Ada says.
“However, I was lucky in that I was able to spend some quality time with my family, calm down, and contemplate.” It certainly makes you reconsider your priorities in life.
“This Christmas isn’t about the materialistic stuff; it’s just a time to be with one other. That is something we all deserve.”
