Ally Harris, a recent addition to Home and Away, has disclosed that she was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Unaware of her affliction until she reached adulthood, Ally, 26, who lives in Summer Bay alongside her on-screen sister Harper and nurse Dana Matheson, is one of the two new residents. Actress Ally signed a three-year contract to star in the popular Australian soap opera after having previously starred in Harrow and The Claremont Murders.
She has now talked about how, fortunately, her illness hasn’t stopped her from achieving her goals. She didn’t know what career route she wanted to follow until she was in high school. Channel 5 personality Ally revealed she felt unworthy in several situations as a child, despite not knowing she had ADHD.
“I felt a lot of pressure and kept thinking to myself, ‘Why can’t you follow through?'” the woman stated. Why are you unable to complete tasks? I’ve got a better handle on it now, and I’ve developed an obsession with finishing a tonne of tasks. It could be too much.
“I wasn’t one of those kids who wanted to be an actress. To her mother’s dismay, she said, “But when I was younger, I used to play with my cutlery at the table; I had a whole series of stories for them.”
Ally didn’t realise she “truly enjoyed” acting until she was in her late teens, but the more she performed on the school stage, the more certain she felt that she could “pull it off”. She said to Stuff, “I really just put myself into things once I realised what I loved and was good at. As I was about to graduate from high school, I knew acting was what I wanted to do. I was 16 or 17 years old at the time.”
Around this time, according to Ally, she immersed herself into acting studies and began working with Miranda Harcourt, an acting coach from New Zealand, who assisted her in landing her previous roles. After having that experience, Jessica Redmayne, a previous 800 Words actress, was cast as Dana’s older sibling, Harper, in the start of 2023.
After being cast, Ally said, “I never really thought I would be on the show, but sometimes you would think, ‘Oh, that looks fun,'” when audition tapes were sent. Since I was being flown to Sydney for the callbacks, I have to admit that I didn’t start to question if I would be on the show until today.”
Ally, who moved across the nation away from her home, family, and boyfriend, is thankful for Jessica’s support. Ally is from Perth, which is about 2,400 miles distant from Sydney.
Having grown up with three sisters, Ally said having someone like that by her side has been “really, really helpful”. She continued by referring to the soap opera as “one big family,” which has helped her adjust to her new environment even if she has a medical issue.
After being falsely accused of drug theft from the hospital where she works, Ally’s character made a spectacular arrival to the play and had to flee with Harper. Harper’s longtime friend Constable Cash Newman provides support for the pair as they arrive at Summer Bay.
Eventually, it’s revealed that Dana has been set up by her lover and a twisted police officer, who try to kidnap and kill her after learning she’s sheltering at Irene’s house.
