It’s been more than a year since Todd Lasance moved back to Australia with his American wife Jordan. Their four-year-old daughter Charlie Rose, who was born in Georgia, is fast becoming an Aussie. Anyone who listens to her talk would know that.
“She’s still got a lot of her American words, but she’ll throw out a couple of bogan words every now and then, and that just cracks us up,” the former Home And Away star tells TV WEEK. “It’s so good.
“The only thing is, Jordan’s sad that she’s losing a bit of her American accent. I think her mama will always try to get her to clutch tightly onto that accent, just a little bit. It is a little bit of home because, after all, she is a little Georgia peach.”
Moving back to Australia doesn’t mean Todd has given up on his US acting career. In fact, it was just after he arrived home, and was staying in Newcastle where his parents live, that he found out he’d scored perhaps his biggest role yet: playing a Navy SEAL in the action thriller Without Remorse.
“When I got Without Remorse, I just lost it,” Todd, 36, remembers. “My family were there and we had the tears flowing. It’s an incredible feeling when you get those jobs that you just know that the entire planet are going for and they feel like such a long shot.”
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Todd stars alongside Luke Mitchell and Michael B. Jordan.
(Amazon Prime)Even though Todd had just arrived in Australia, it was time to get on a plane again.
“They were literally like, ‘You need to fly to Berlin on Monday.’ I was like, ‘Okay!’ So we packed the family up.”
Todd’s career took off in 2005 when he arrived in Summer Bay as bad boy Aden Jefferies. Fans loved Aden’s relationship with Jessica Tovey’s character Belle Taylor, dubbing the couple “Adelle”. The relationship ended tragically, with Belle’s death, but in real life, Todd and Jess are still tight.
“I actually just caught up with Jess Tovey this week,” he says. “She’s always stayed one of my closest friends.”
Todd also shared the screen with a young Bryce Ruthven, long before he signed on for Married At First Sight.
“He was part of my character’s posse back then,” he explains.
What a flashback!
(Supplied)In 2010, Todd left Home And Away and, after appearing in dramas such as Rescue: Special Ops and Crownies, headed off to the States. He scored the guest role of Edward Clariss/Rival on The Flash.
“They were like, ‘We’ll need you to come in so that we can start custom building your superhero suit,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah!'” he remembers with a laugh. “I wish the character did actually extend a little longer.”
It was while shooting another series, The Vampire Diaries, in Georgia, that Todd laid eyes on Jordan Wilcox across a room. Six years later, he’s clearly still smitten with her.
“I’m not really sure what I did to deserve her,” he says, “but I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Jordan has a background in event management and no interest in becoming an actress.
“If anything, she’s the opposite of that world. It’s really nice to have someone who isn’t in this industry, but understands it and supports you and is your number one fan and cheerleader.
“She’s incredible, and such an unbelievable mother as well.”
It was love at first sight for Todd.
(Instagram)As a bonus, Jordan has helped Todd perfect his American accent.
“I’ve got an onsite free dialect coach,” he laughs. “I need to give her some commissions on the gigs I land!”
Despite having Jordan’s support, life as an actor in Los Angeles was “definitely stressful” for Todd.
“There’s a lot of people there that are striving for the same career, and there’s a lot of desperation there.”
Sometimes he would miss out on roles purely because of his looks.
“You can be perfect for the role and then you look too similar to one of the leads. I’ve had that happen so many times.”
Todd and Jordan made the decision to move to Australia for Charlie’s sake. They wanted to be settled by the time she started school.
“Her happiness has always been our priority.”
The couple married in the Hunter Valley in January last year, with Charlie as their flower girl.
“I broke down as soon as I saw her walk out,” Todd remembers. “That was the beautiful thing about having a later wedding, because she was old enough to experience it and understand what was going on. She was so excited to walk down the aisle and throw the petals out for us.”
The move to Australia has worked out well for Todd. He shot the film Kidnapped, alongside Claire van der Boom and Melina Vidler, in far north Queensland.
Then, after he and Jordan decided to settle on the Gold Coast, he was cast in a US film shooting locally, Black Site. It stars Michelle Monaghan, Jai Courtney and Todd’s former Home And Away castmate Lincoln Lewis.
“It was amazing to see his face,” Todd says. “We ran up to each other and had a big hug and reminisced.”
Todd loved his time in Summer Bay but don’t expect him to visit any time soon.
(PHOTO: Alana Landsberry, LOCATION: Jessie’s, Hyde Park House, 47 – 49 William Street, Darlinghurst, hydeparkhouse.com))Even though Todd looks back “so fondly” on Home And Away, he can’t see himself returning as Aden. He’s hoping to keep landing roles in US productions shooting in Australia.
“I’d love to do a Marvel film. If Chris [Hemsworth] gets bored with playing Thor, I’m happy to put my hand up!”
For now, he’s loving life with his family on the “chill” Gold Coast.
“The more you travel, the more you realise Australia is paradise.”
