Ethan Browne, a fan of Summer Bay, wishes for a Christmas back home in New Zealand, but is sceptical that it will happen due to a lack of quarantine spaces for returning Kiwis and even if adjustments are made.
Indeed, the Kiwi actor, who portrays Home And Away heartthrob Tane Parata, claims he would not have joined the Australian soap if he had known the Covid-19 outbreak would strike only a month after his screen debut in February of last year.
“It’s been difficult. “As much as I enjoy working here, I would have reconsidered if I had realised I wouldn’t be able to go home,” Browne adds. “I only accepted the position because I knew I’d be able to return home or bring my baby with me.”
“In that way, it’s been a huge difficulty.”
Browne maintains in touch with Aaylah, a 13-year-old from Wairoa, on a regular basis. Last Christmas, he returned home after completing MIQ on December 22 and making a couple excursions back before the trans-Tasman bubble burst in July.
“She’s OK,” says the narrator. She’s content. He admits that he is eagerly awaiting the restoration of travel between the two nations, saying, “We FaceTime a lot.”
“I spent a number of years in Brisbane before going to Sydney, so I have a lot of family and friends there, but it’s not the same.”
Browne, on the other hand, is enjoying his time on the drama, despite the fact that he is separated from his family. It’s his first significant acting role since leaving his civil engineering job in his late twenties to pursue his passion for acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (Nida).
“It’s been fantastic in terms of the job itself. “I feel like I’ve fit in very well with the group, and I really enjoy it,” he adds, adding that he aspires to work in New Zealand one day.
“If the opportunity arose, I’d jump at it since it would put me closer to my family.”
Browne initially appeared on Home And Away as a member of the Mori family. The Paratas – Gemma (Bree Peters, who left in mid-2020), her son Nikau (Kawakawa Fox-Reo), and brothers-in-law Tane and Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams) – have not only introduced Australians to Mori culture, but they have also experienced the usual traumas that come with life in Australia’s most famous seaside town.
Tane has been assaulted, stabbed, poisoned, and has caught the attention of a violent stalker on several occasions. Browne was taken aback by the physicality of the character.
“I figured it would be a beach-with-the-missus thing and whatever, but it’s actually nice because I like the action,” he adds, adding that as a skilled martial artist, he appreciates the chance to conduct his own stunts whenever feasible.
In this week’s end-of-season cliffhanger, it appears that his emotions, rather than his body, will be put to the test.
Tane takes the road with his new girlfriend Felicity (Jacqui Purvis), who is still traumatised following the couple’s ordeal at the hands of kidnapper Anne, while his brother Ari makes a life-changing decision in Summer Bay (Megan Smart).
Back in the bay, Alf (Ray Meagher) and Roo (Georgie Parker) are willing to go to any length to save Martha’s (Belinda Giblin) life, while Ryder (Lukas Radovich) and Theo’s (Matt Evans) video challenge becomes perilous with a buried-alive stunt.
Tane will step up in more ways than one, according to Browne, as a result of this week’s tragedies.
“He has to grow up and become more of a family leader,” he adds, adding that the Paratas would also be highlighting their Mori heritage.
“I can’t disclose anything,” he explains, “but there are quite a few narratives that weave the culture back in, which is very amazing.” “I believe some of stuff has never been seen on Australian television.”
The show’s Mori cultural elements, which include a hangi, a haka, and frequent usage of te reo, have been well received by Kiwi viewers, including Browne’s family.
“My mom and grandma, in particular, are ecstatic. My father watches the omnibus every day throughout the week and then again on Sunday, so he’s a big fan. Everyone is ecstatic. That makes me delighted to learn.”
