The 30-year-old moved to Tasmania with her parents when she was 12, and recently said she wanted to spend time with her family and travel. Not one to shy away from new challenges, Gormley was one of hundreds of people who gathered in Tasmania’s Upper Florentine Valley in April to rally against the Federal Government’s attempt to reopen some World Heritage-listed forests to logging.
One of Australia’s most popular stars, she also revealed she would be open to returning to her soapie roots, years after leaving the show,
Since, Gormley has spent a few years travelling, teaching overseas and starring in various stage productions. And is open to returning to the show that launched her career – just not yet. “I would, but maybe not for another little while because I’ve still got things I want to try,” she says. “I’ve done a lot of things that were on my list – I’m slowly ticking them off.”
She had a ball “getting the band back together”. “It was just gorgeous,” she beams. “I love this show. It’s not like I left because I didn’t. And, when I did, I suddenly lost 50 people from my life, which was sad. Coming back to play with them again was great.” Bonnie Sveen is a central part of the plot for the spin-off, after her character Ricky’s baby Casey is kidnapped. Adding to that, everyone is left reeling by Ash’s (George Mason) revelation.
She relished the chance to sink her teeth into a meaty storyline and be part of a history-making experiment.
“This is a first for the show – they’ve never done anything like it before,” Sveen says.
“It feels different, too – they’re shooting it differently. I don’t know much about the technology, I’m sorry, but the cameramen played with filters and angles and that sort of thing.
“It gives it a slightly different look and feel. That made it an exciting prospect.” Ricky’s story arc in recent years has been a turbulent one but Sveen thinks there’s a lot of life left in it.
“I think there’s a while to go in the journey and I’m enjoying it,” she says. “I’m not in any hurry to move on at all.”HOME AND AWAY FINALE, WEDNESDAY, 7PM, SEVEN. AN EYE FOR AN EYE WILL BE AVAILABLE ON PRESTO IMMEDIATELY AFTER, AT 8.30PM