To the relief of Neighbours fans, Ryan Moloney is returning to the Australian soap as Jarrod 'Toadie' Rebecchi ahead of its upcoming Amazon Freevee reboot – and the long-time star has promised that the new series is just as dramatic as it's always been.
Ryan arrived on Ramsay Street in 1995 and stuck with the soap until it was cancelled by its Aussie channel Network 10 last year. Thankfully, Amazon Freevee stepped in and announced that it would be picking up the long-running soap for its streaming site.
While Ryan has kept tight-lipped about the details of his comeback, he's teased that fans are in for a shock with the upcoming storylines.
“There’s a big twist and I think it’s really clever,” he said. “The shock value of it is really good as well. We’ve done a fantastic job – it’s about taking the audience on this ride. We want that shock reaction from them.”
The 43-year-old is joining classic cast members like Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburn in the new reboot, but they'll also be welcoming former The O.C. star, US actress Mischa Barton onto Ramsay Street.
"We’ve also got an American actress coming in [Mischa Barton, who plays new character, Reece Sinclair] and we’re very much launching into the American market, which is pretty exciting," he said.
The new series picks up two years after the soap's big finale last year, which saw Toadie marry Melanie Pearson (played by Lucinda Cowden). A flashback will explain what happened to some of the soap's biggest characters during their time off our screens, while in the present day, Toadie's kids – Nell and Hugo – will be played by older actors.
“It’s been mixed emotions," Ryan said of his children being recast. "I really loved those kids. They were born on the show and they never actively decided, ‘I want to be an actor.’ But they had fun and we made it as fun as possible for them. I think it’s really nice for them to go and be kids now.
“The new kids are actors and obviously I had to develop these new relationships. They have to be believable. The kids and their parents have put a lot of trust in me. It’s an interesting dynamic to have to immediately create with a child – that you are a family. But they’re brilliant and it’s only getting better."
Neighbours returns on Monday 18 September and will air Monday to Thursday on Amazon Freevee.
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