Before he was hitting the sands of Bondi Beach to keep tabs on swimmers, Ryan Clark was making a splash on Palm Beach – or Summer Bay, to be more precise.
Indeed, Bondi Rescue‘s beloved lifeguard has long been a stalwart of the show, but he lived a whole other TV life before his lifesaving gig, and it was only on Australia’s most iconic soap – Home and Away.
Indeed in 1991, at a mere eight years of age, Ryan Clarke arrived in Home and Away‘s iconic Summer Bay as a surf-fanatic foster kid Sam Marshall – a classic Summer Bay narrative if you ask us.
He grew into his teens on the show, with several flings and a few flirtatious encounters with some of its iconic residents, including Hayley (played by Bec Hewitt).
After a short hiatus in 2001, Ryan returned to the show between 2002 and 2005, before eventually leaving to become a carpenter away from The Bay and in the city.
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But while we bid farewell to him then, we didn’t have to wait long before he reemerged on Bondi Rescue as a real life lifeguard overseeing Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs beaches.
It’s quite the transition – though when you really think about it, living the life in Summer Bay or Bondi isn’t that different.
Keep scrolling as we take a look back at Ryan Clark through the years.
Ryan Clarke Home and Away
Ryan first came to our screens in 1991 as Home and Away‘s newest foster child, Sam Marshall.
Home and Away Ryan Clark 2
He quickly stole the hearts of The Bay’s residents, especially after his carer Bobby was tragically killed.
Home and Away Ryan Clark 3
Sam found himself in more than a few scuffles, often ruffling feathers of fellow residents with a temperamental attitude. While living with Michael and Pippa as a foster kid, Sam was at the centre of a car accident and a fire – not to mention playing cupid for several of his fellow Summer Bay teens, for good and bad.
Home and Away Ryan Clark 4
Yep, Sam certainly had an unsettled streak to him, but ultimately he was still a much loved member of Summer Bay’s locale till his departure in 2005.
Bondi rescue ryan clark
And almost as soon as he’d gone, Ryan cropped back up again on the sandy shores of Bondi Beach.
Ryan and Gina
In 2011, Ryan became engaged and married his partner Gina Brackenridge.
Ryan son
Two years later, they welcomed their first child Nixon, now seven years old.
Ryan son 2
Ryan then welcomed a second son, Jett, who is now five years old. Clearly, a love of surfing runs in the family!
Ryan Clark baby 1
And then there were five! In 2021, Ryan welcomed another boy – Marley.
“He’s a great addition to the family,” Ryan told Woman’s Day of his new addition.
Ryan Clark baby 2
And right on cue, Ryan can’t wait to get Marley in the surf too, just like his other sons – “Marley will be in the surf as soon as possible. I definitely want them all growing up surfing, so it’s so important to me to get them comfortable in the water,” he says.
