Sad news for Home And Away fans: Brax will not be going back to Summer Bay. Actor Stephen Peacocke made it very clear when TV WEEK asked if there was any chance of him returning to the long-running drama series.
‘No, no, no,” Stephen said on the phone from Los Angeles, where he’s currently based.
“It was an awesome, fun job, with really good people, but no. It’s one of those things – it’s nice to enjoy while you’re doing it, and if you want to stick around, stick around or move on.”
Stephen’s final appearance as Brax was in 2016, when he left the Bay with Ricky, played by Bonnie Sveen, and their baby.
He won three TV WEEK Logie Awards for the role, which he started playing in 2011.
“I think where the storyline was left was about spot-on for me,” Stephen, 37, adds. “I think it finished in a way that the audience really liked. It came to its best conclusion.”
Stephen has said goodbye to Summer Bay for good.
But fans of Stephen needn’t despair. After recently playing loveable larrikin Ben in Network 10 series Five Bedrooms, Stephen is keen to do a second season.
“That was another fun show to be on, and awesome people to work with,” he says. “I’d love to do more of that.”
In the meantime, Stephen is keeping busy by starring in an episode of ABC comedy-drama, Les Norton. In the series, based on the Robert G Barrett novels, Stephen plays Les’ (Alexander Bertrand) brother Muzza. A few wild scenes came along with the role.
“Morgan [O’Neill], the show runner, said, ‘So basically you’re going to have a big dog collar around your neck and you’re going to be wearing next to nothing and you’re going to be waking up with a girl in an apartment in Sydney,'” Stephen remembers. “That was the very first scene I shot!”
Fortunately, wearing “next to nothing” isn’t a problem for the Dubbo-born actor.
“I’m getting used to doing scenes like that,” he explains. “I’ve never been one to strut around without my gear on too much, but it’s just another funny part of the job.”
Image: Tina Smigielski
As much fun as Stephen has been having with acting lately, he gets very serious when he starts talking about one particular role.
In the Vietnam War film Danger Close: The Battle Of Long Tan, he plays Colonel Adrian Roberts, whose bravery played an important role in the famous battle.
Stephen was “lucky enough” to meet Adrian and watch the film with him.
“It’s the thing I’m most proud of being a part of,” he says. “I hope as many Australians as possible go to see it. The film features an incredible cast and, most importantly, it’s a story that’s long overdue to be told.”
Stephen tapped his comedy skills in Les Norton.
As for US acting roles, Stephen is busy auditioning and remains hopeful about a couple of potential projects.
“But I don’t like to jinx anything by telling people too much,” he adds with a laugh.
Stephen says he and wife Bridgette Sneddon are willing to travel wherever the work is.
“When I finished uni, all my mates went off to travel the world, and I was working and doing co-op theatre. Travelling the world, at the moment, is a lot of fun, so we’ll just doing that while we can.
“We really enjoy California and we’ve met some good people. Wherever we are, as long as we’re together, it’s home.”
While having a family is eventually on the cards, the pair have no plans just yet.
“I came from a great family myself – we both did – and that’s important to us. But at the moment, all’s good the way it is.”
