As Layla in the Logie-nominated Australian comedy series Here Come The Habibs, Kat Hoyos relished playing a feisty teen queen.
Now, Kat is regular gal Dee on the big screen in Chasing Comets, a semi-autobiographical film written by former rugby league star Jason Stevens.
It centres on Chase (Dan Ewing) – a small-town rugby league player on the outs with his partner, Brooke (Isabel Lucas) – who’s following his dream of playing in the NRL.
Dee has some life lessons for Chase.
“To Chase, Dee’s the voice of reason,” Kat, 28, tells TV WEEK.
“She’s a bit of a tomboy and is not really head over heels with footy players and what it means – whereas some girls get caught up in that world.
“So it was great to play a character who was the opposite to Layla Habib. It’s always nice to show other sides of your skill set, so that was definitely an attraction. The story itself was a very Australian story and I really enjoyed that aspect too,” she says.
It didn’t hurt that most of the filming took place in the Sydney beach suburb of Cronulla, where Jason lives and Kat once called home.
Kat, Jason, his wife Rebecca, and Isabel Lucas.
“It was lovely to get that local spirit on board,” Kat says. “My mum even came and helped out and did some of the catering!”
As for her own sports loyalties, Kat’s were shortlived.
“When I was growing up, I was a [Canterbury-Bankstown] Bulldogs fan from when I was about eight to 13 or 14. And then, as one does when hormones kick in, you tend to not really think about that anymore!”
Chasing Comets is in cinemas now.
