Almost 20 years after she played the dutiful wife of ever-loathsome small town mayor Bob Jelly in SeaChange, Kerry Armstrong is stepping back into her twin-set to reprise the role of Heather Jelly.
And the 61-year-old AFI winner couldn’t be happier to reunite with her onscreen husband, played by veteran Aussie actor John Howard.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to be working with him again,” says Kerry. “He is a tremendously intelligent and funny and nuanced actor – he’s a force to be reckoned with, my Bob Jelly!”
Kerry says it’s been equally wonderful to work alongside other former colleagues like Sigrid Thornton, who returns as Laura Gibson, but also admits it’s been nice to see the story – and cast – evolve.
Indeed, the reboot will include a new generation of characters, including a grown-up Miranda Gibson, played by Brooke Satchwell.
“I am really impressed with the newcomers,” says Kerry.
WATCH: Sigrid Thorton admits she’s thrilled to return to SeaChange. Post continues after video…
After taking a few years away from acting to be with her sons, Sam, 29, and twins Callum and Jai, 23, Kerry says she’s loved nothing more than being back on set.
“I also just finished the ABC series Frayed and I had them come up to me and say, ‘It’s the best work you’ve ever done.’ And that’s [with] no makeup whatsoever – playing an alcoholic.”
READ MORE: Can’t wait until SeaChange returns? Here’s when the reboot will air.
So how does the Heather we know and loved from 1998 fit in to 2019?
“Well, she hasn’t evolved much in this post-MeToo era,” says Kerry.
Heather hasn’t changed too much since 1998.
(Image: Supplied)“There was talk of modernising Heather,” she admits. “And we realised, there was something wonderful about people who are a constant.”
And while it’s a case of the same old Heather, Kerry explains that returning to the show made her understanding of the character much stronger.
“The thing about her is that she doesn’t have a bad bone in her body. But she also clings to what she knows, because that is what she believes is the right thing to do. It will be a magical day if she can actually let go of the facade,” she says.
