Let’s not beat around the Bay here. For many Home And Away fans, Stephen Peacocke may always be Daryl “Brax” Braxton.
Sure, the talented actor is forging a career in Hollywood, as well as reprising his detective character, Josh Levine, in local TV drama Wanted.
But gosh, people loved Brax. That whole bad-boy persona with the “Blood And Sand” tattoo and his willingness to stick his neck out for others really struck a chord.
Plus, the role garnered Stephen three TV WEEK Logie Awards – a Most Popular New Male Talent gong and two trophies for Most Popular Actor.
So it’s interesting to discover that while he loved playing him, Brax wasn’t actually an easy fit for the actor, who was born and raised in Dubbo, NSW.
“I always found it [playing Brax] a bit difficult,” the 35-year-old tells TV WEEK. “There are other things that come more naturally to me than a role like him, believe it or not.”
Still, since leaving Brax behind, Stephen has been fortunate to land two big movie roles – last year’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Me Before You.
Of the two roles, the latter, in which he played a nurse to a quadriplegic, probably provided the best indication of the actor’s versatility on screen.
He’s now ensconced in Los Angeles with his actress wife, former Home And Away star Bridgette Sneddon. The long-term couple married in a private ceremony in 2014.
As for whether there might be a baby Peacocke in the nest soon, Stephen reveals starting a family is on the agenda.
“That’s always on the horizon,” he says. “It’s just how close to the horizon are we at any given time? Everything’s good as it is for the time being.”
For now, he and Bridgette are enjoying their time in La La Land.
“So far, it’s been a positive experience for us,” he says. “There’s enough interest in me to think it’s worthwhile to be there for the foreseeable future.”
Steve won the Logie for Most Popular New Male Talent in 2012, Most Popular Actor in 2013 and Best Actor in 2015.
Stephen tried his luck during pilot season earlier this year for the first time. He’s philosophical about the results.
“You come close to some things and then you don’t get a look-in for others,” he concedes.
However, he adds, there is “stuff coming up”. Plus, he’s been in talks about a few projects down under.
“Just because we live overseas, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be great to come back and have more experiences like working on Wanted,” Stephen says.
And if things go well, we could see him in season three of the drama.
“I’ll definitely do it –unless they get Harrison Ford to step in for me,” he laughs.
