Fans hearts broke across Australia when Neighbours revealed David (Takaya Honda) tragically died during a beach holiday at the remote resort. While the Ramsay Street residents rally around to help one another, TV WEEK talked to Takaya on his Neighbours journey.
Continue scrolling to read the full exclusive interview.
(Image: Instagram)
What was it like to be a part of the first gay couple married on Neighbours?
I was a part of the first same sex couple married on Australian screens since it’s legalisation. It was a huge honour and a privilege to be a part of history. I’ve loved getting the opportunity to represent the LGBTQIA+ community and bring to the screen stories they hadn’t seen before. Having Matty Wilson as my partner in crime also meant it was a lot of fun and I will miss getting to work with him everyday.
How did it come to be that your character was going to be killed? And was reading the script of your final scenes emotional?
I had told the producers that my contract leading up to the finale (we didn’t know it would be the finale at the time) in 2022 would be my final contract. I had known early on in my journey on the show, after conversations with our executive producer Jason Herbison that the only way that David would leave Aaron and eventually Isla would be if he was forced to go to jail or if he died.
A sentiment I agreed with. When they asked me to come back for one last stint to finish off the character and they brought this storyline to me I jumped at the opportunity as I really thought they had come up with something special. The fact that David would be going out a hero was such a beautiful way to end his arc on the show. He started off conservative, closeted and he lacked confidence so to go out this way and for it to make sense to the character was a beautiful celebration of how far he had come.
What was it like filming your final scenes?
The final scene I shot was with Stefan Dennis in Harolds cafe – the scene where I give him hope that there may be a future between Paul and David. It was a nice scene to finish off with, not only because I have loved working with Stefan but because there was quite a lot of nuance to it as Paul somewhat corners David into opening up the door to him.
It was made extra special because unbeknownst to me, a huge crowd of cast, crew and production staff had gathered to watch the scene and were revealed behind the fourth wall when the scene wrapped.
(Image: Instagram)
How did you say farewell to the cast? And did they host a farewell for you?
The cast threw me a party which we were calling ‘David’s Wake’ and it was a great night to wrap up mine and David’s eight years on the show. I don’t like to think that I said farewell to the cast as I hope to keep them in my life.
You lost your mother last year to Alzheimers, how did you navigate working and managing grief?
I don’t know if there is a way to navigate it, all I can say is that I would not have gotten through it without the overwhelming love and support I received from this cast and crew. I don’t know if they will ever understand how much they helped me and how much I appreciate them for that.
You mention she passed just after you had to film one of the biggest scenes of your career, what scene was this and what made it special?
I don’t have the words to talk about this just yet, but by the time this goes to print people can check out my instagram @takayah as I will put a post up there sharing more about it. (The Instagram link to the scene has been linked to the bottom of this article)
You are an ambassador for Dementia Australia, what can people do to help this great cause?
The obvious answer its to say to donate or attend a Memory Walk and Jog, but the real answer is to reach out to those around you whose loved one is living with Dementia and see if you can help them out in any way. It is a disease that can last a very long time and asking for help can become very difficult. So, the best way to help the cause is to help those around you.
Do you have any upcoming projects in the works?
I’m very excited for the opportunities that will come my way this year. The Gift That Gives is a feature film that just premiered and is in select theatres. It is a Romcom where I play Callum Mori, a self-help author and a guy looking for love. I will also be filming more episodes of Play School which my niece and nephew are very excited about.
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