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With the news of Neighbours actress Annie Jones (53) return to Ramsay Street, as a cast regular for the first time in 30 years, she tells us of the lessons learned from caring for her much-loved mum, and the joy of being back on the hit Aussie soap.
In her role as Plain Jane Superbrain in Neighbours, she took care of her grandmother Mrs Mangel. Just a few years after leaving Ramsay Street in 1989, the actress found herself caring for her mum, Elizabeth, who was suffering fromAlzheimer’s.
“She had the disease for many, many years and I became her carer,” says Annie. “Anyone who has had anything to do with Alzheimer’s or dementia will know what it’s like. It’s heart-breaking, seeing someone disappear before your eyes.
“Because of that, I had neither the time nor the energy to commit to a long-running series and could only do guest roles here and there.
“But it’s probably made me a better person in many ways. I think you learn from the stuff that life throws at you; that’s what it’s all about, life experiences. It’s made me a different actress, too, empathy is the number one most important thing for any actor.”
After her mum passed away in 2016, Annie slowly eased herself back into acting. Since early 2018, she has occasionally popped up in Neighbours but following her latest reappearance as part of the Aussie soap’s 35th anniversary celebrations earlier this year, she agreed to become a regular cast member again.
Annie's return to Neighbours
Below Annie chats to Christine Lampard on Lorraine about her infamous return to Ramsay Street and how she was looking for new challenges after the loss of her mother.
“I was really craving something with longevity and what better place than Neighbours?” she explains. “I always felt a bit sad after each stint finished, as I had such a great time. Then they’d invite me back again and I’d have another wonderful time, then be sad when it ended. So, this time I thought,
‘Stay forever!’
Caring for my mum, who had Alzheimer’s, made me a better person and a different actress – empathy is the number one most important thing for any actor
“I’m really glad to be able to play Jane for longer. Being able to work on her more long-term makes it interesting because each time she interacts with other characters it brings out a slightly different side of her.
“It’s going to be fun to flesh her out! There is a lot to Jane and her past. Putting her in new situations means you get more of an insight into the character every time. We are taking the viewers on a really exciting journey.”
One thing that won't be returning for Jane is those shoulder pads.
It sounds like Annie’s loving being back on set. “It feels like coming home and that’s wonderful,” she says. “It’s such a joy to do what I love most. The enormous workload and pace only add to the adrenaline rush I get from performing. It’s frightening how easily I’ve slipped back into the groove. In some ways, it feels like I never left.
“Stefan Dennis, who plays Paul Robinson and is a great friend, is the only cast member left from the Eighties, but some of the crew from those days are still there.
“The biggest change I suppose is that we now have the entire studio building available for our show. It’s quite a luxury to have so much space.”
Jane Harris' most memorable Ramsay street moments
Plain Jane Superbrain came to Ramsay street 34 years ago. Neighbours fans watched her fall in love, get into trouble and say goodbye. All these years later she's back in Erinsborough...
Stefan, who plays Paul Robinson, is the only cast member left from the Eighties but some of the crew are still the same
Annie joined Neighbours in 1986, leaving just after Kylie Minogue who played Charlene Mitchell and Jason Donovan, who played Scott Robinson. Her Neighbours love interest, Guy Pearce, who played Mike Young also left in 1989. It’s a long time ago, but is she still in touch with any of them?
“They are rarely in Australia these days, but we occasionally cross paths,” replies Annie (53) who’s married to Australian TV director, Paul Moloney. “I have very fond memories of those days, though. I was a sponge, learning so much about working fast and being a part of an ensemble cast.
“Vivean Grey who played Mrs Mangel, Myra De Groot who played Eileen Clarke and Anne Haddy, who played Helen Daniels were incredible teachers and I tried to follow their example.”
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