Home and Away actress kicks dad out of home to film new project with soap co-star
Home and Away star Jackie Purvis has revealed she had to kick her father out of their home to make a short film.
The actress made her soap debut as Felicity Newman in 2021, but has now established herself as a writer and producer after the release of her latest project, Voicemail Last Forever. The release of the 16-minute film coincided with RU OK Day, an Australian non-profit suicide prevention organization.
The short film follows housemates Ali and Robbie (Bradley Walsh), played by Jackie, as they come to terms with the sudden loss of their friend James, who died by suicide. James is also Ali’s boyfriend, played by Adam Rowland, who currently stars as Remi Carter in the Australian soap.
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The project was three years in the making and was very close to Jackie’s heart, having started after her best friend confessed to her that she had suicidal thoughts. It all started when her friend Bradley came to me and opened up about his mental health and his suicidal thoughts,” the actress told TV WEEK.
she continued. “I really wanted to help in some way, so I asked him, ‘What can I do, of course I want to help,’ and he said, ‘Oh, it’s not just the people who are helping. Mental health is a very taboo topic, and we’re not at the point where it needs to be yet.
“Everyone needs to feel comfortable opening up about their mental health. With that in mind, I went home and just started writing. But then it just snowballed… I was filming it at the time.”
In order to get the movie off the ground, Jackie has no choice but to ask her father to leave the house. She said: “We shot it at her father’s house in Melbourne.
“We kicked him out for four days and went to a motel. It took the whole house. He was happy to do it and was really supportive.” For Jackie, the role behind the camera meant This is the first time, but apparently it won’t be the last.
“I fell in love with producing. I was into movies and was involved from choosing the locations to choosing the music,” she said. In recent weeks, Felicity has been trying to overcome drugging and sexual assault.
The actress explained that she knew the story would be difficult, but wanted to do it justice. “I wanted to do justice to this case for the people who have gone through this. I feel like this case needs to be treated very lightly and sensitively,” she told TV WEEK. said in an interview.
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