If you’ve been missing your evening dose of Jake Ryan since he tragically departed Home And Away, you’re in luck.
The 37-year-old’s latest project, a New Zealand film called Savage, has just dropped on Stan.
Inspired by stories from New Zealand’s boys homes and the early history of New Zealand gangs, Savage follows Jake’s character, Danny, across three different ages during important junctures in his life that push and pull him towards and away from gang life.
Jake gained 20kg for the role.
(Stan)The new dad revealed working on the film had quite an impact on him.
“I met these ex-gang members who had suffered abuse in state homes, it was a pretty dark road. It took a bit of a toll on me, but it’s such an important story that everyone needs to understand and see,” Jake revealed to the Daily Mail.
As part of his preparation for the film and playing Danny, Jake gained 20kg and would walk through public in full costume, which included some very intense facial tattoos.
“People were parting ways and big groups of guys that I would find very intimidating were trying not to make eye contact. It gave me a sense of the isolation and disconnect from society. It was a really interesting experience,” he recalled.
Jake was best known for playing Robbo on Home And Away.
(Channel Seven)Summer Bay fans said a tragic goodbye to Jake at the beginning of 2020 when his beloved character left the show.
Jake’s character Robbo was killed after he discovered his partner Scott had been turned by the Ouroboros gang – the same gang that wanted him dead.
Trapped in a car with the man he once trusted with his life, Robbo wrestled for control of the car, before it crashed at a high speed. Robbo was eventually rushed to hospital where it looked as though he would survive.
But the heartache wasn’t over as fans watched him ask Colby (Tim Franklin) to look after the woman he loved, Jasmine (Sam Frost).
He then went into cardiac arrest and doctors were unable to revive him.
