#offspring 7

Love this picture!

By Paul Ewart April 29, 2017

HE BECAME a household name thanks to his portrayal of lovestruck musician and all-round nice guy, Mick Holland, on Offspring.

But while Channel Ten recently announced that the hit drama would return for its seventh season later this year — with filming currently underway — Eddie Perfect has dropped a bombshell that will leave fans shocked.

Exclusively chatting to news.com.au Perfect reveals that he won’t be returning for the next season of the show.

“No, I’m not!” says the gravel-voiced 39-year-old. “I’ve taken a step away from it to concentrate on writing.

“I just had to choose, so I made a choice and that’s all it came down to. It’s nothing to do with Offspring or not liking it — I love doing it. But I’ve always had these Sophie’s Choice type experiences, you know, between the gig that’s very high profile and brings a lot of kudos … and then the other project that’s completely unknown, driven by myself, is creative and could be oodles of work for absolute naught, but you’ve gotta roll the dice and back yourself up at some point.”

What he’s doing is a dream come true. In a case of art imitating life, just as his famous TV alter-ego’s career took him overseas, Perfect has landed the gig of a lifetime — writing the score for a new Broadway musical version of Beetlejuice.

The original 1988 Tim Burton film, starring Gina Davis, Alec Baldwin and Winona Rider was a cult classic. So there’s a lot of pressure to get the stage version right.

“It’s very difficult because we have to graft a story onto it while staying true to the spirit of the film,” he explains.

“So that the fans will feel that it belongs in that world, but they’ll also get a story that has something meaningful to say.”

Revealing previously untold details of the big budget project, produced by Warner Brothers, Perfect says that the story will be far darker than the big screen original.

“It’s about a lot of things,” says the musician. “But it’s vastly about the relationship between the father and daughter who are grieving the loss of their mother … why do we continue to choose living? What’s life about?

“If we get it right it’ll be all the things a good musical should be: funny, fast, ridiculous, with great songs and a great heart at the engine of it.

Part of his decision to make the leap is undoubtedly the phenomenal success his good mate, Tim Minchin, has had with musical, Matilda. A show that has become one of the most successful stage productions in the last decade.

“Tim’s success is testament to the fact that Australians can write musical theatre,” says a smiling Perfect.

“That’s what I’m doing now. He’s a really supportive person. Having written with a lot of people overseas, he’s always saying that there’s no reason why Australians can’t do more of this. We tend to have a bit of a parochial attitude, you know ‘little us in the corner’ thinking we don’t have the right or ability to work at that level, but with a lot of hard work anything is possible.”

Following in Minchin’s footsteps, Eddie took a leap of faith and flew to New York three years ago where he met with Broadway execs and called in favours. But as a complete unknown it was pretty tough.

“It was actually Tim who said to me that there’s this project, Beetlejuice, floating around and they haven’t found a composer-lyricist yet,” he recalls.

“I said, ‘what if I just wrote two songs for free?’ It wouldn’t cost them any money and if they hated it there’d be nothing lost. I ended up writing three songs and I got the gig, which was pretty miraculous!”

Though still cloud nine, the father of two is fully aware of the pressure to succeed.

“Absolutely!” he says. “You don’t get the mountain, you just get given the opportunity to climb it. And it’s a beautiful opportunity, but it’s totally yours to f**k up!

“There’s all the usual doubts: am I good enough to be writing at this level? Am I going to choke? Am I gonna get fired? So I’ve just been working my guts out to make sure I’m always ahead of declines and turning stuff in.”

The other pressing commitment on his time is the upcoming Adelaide Cabaret Festival. An annual fixture on the Australian arts calendar, Eddie is in the hot seat as its co-creative director for the second year running.

“There really isn’t a festival like the Adelaide Cabaret Festival anywhere else in the world,” he enthuses.

“Which is quite difficult to believe! People come in to see something that immediately appeals to them, but then they’ll turn left or right after the obvious choice and take a risk on another show.

“To that end there is a lot of what you’d call crowd pleasing material, but what we think is interesting about the festival is not only seeing one show that you know is going to be good, but allowing yourself to be open to the idea of seeing stuff that repels you, seduces you, enlightens you … whatever.”

Although Perfect is very passionate about the arts scene in Australia, given his new-found gig, could he soon follow the lead of his buddy Tim Minchin (who now lives in the Hollywood Hills) and decamp to America?

“At some point I’ll have to do a stint in New York,” he says. “Hopefully when Beetlejuice goes into rehearsals … but I don’t know if I’d want to be a New Yorker per se, but there’s worse things than spending a year there!”

Just as he’s keeping the door firmly open on relocating. Perfect is also very much in the ‘never say never’ camp when asked about a return to the Offspring role that earned him a Logie nomination.

“Of course,” he says on playing Mick again. “I don’t know how long it’s going to go on for and if I could do it I would, but at the moment I’m just about to get on a plane to New York and do another big workshop, so it makes that kind of aspect really difficult.”

“It’s a strange experience, putting all your eggs into one basket, but it’s my number one dream so I feel really fortunate to be doing it and I just hope like hell that the end result is something accessible.

“The pressure is so high, but it’s glorious. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Eddie Perfect is co-artistic director at the upcoming Adelaide Cabaret Festival, which runs June 9-24. See www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au

'We are thrilled to welcome Jeremy Lindsay Taylor to our talented cast.‘ –  Offspring on Ten’s official twitter

I am personally really liking the look of this. Finger’s crossed Jeremy portrays a likeable character and not a villain.

In my opinion he would be a good fit for Nina’s next interest. I have felt as though all of Nina’s love interests post Patrick (Thomas, Leo, Harry) have not been right for her. Harry’s okay but she could do better.

Where’s Chris when you need him?  

By Colin Vickery, National TV writer, News Corp Australia Network June 25, 2017

THIS time it is personal.

When Asher Keddie was helping plot the seventh season of Channel 10’s drama favourite, Offspring, she turned to her own life for inspiration.

Keddie’s lead character, Nina Proudman is set to kick up her relationship crisis consultant Harry Crewe (Alexander England), with the couple moving in together.

It’s not a decision Nina makes lightly, considering its ramifications for Proudman’s young daughter, Zoe (Isabella Monaghan).

For Keddie, 43, it’s a familiar scenario, to when she first began dating her now artist husband, Vincent Fantauzzo who has a young son, Luca, from a previous relationship.

“There came a point for me (with Fantauzzo) when I thought `I can’t go half way here, this is actually boots and all otherwise I might as well walk away now because this little boy (Luca) is falling in love with me and I’m falling in love with him and I’ve got to be very careful here,” Keddie tells TV Guide.

“Our communication (Keddie and Fantauzzo) at that time was very clear about that and very open. We didn’t pussyfoot around it. We knew the enormity of the effect that it was going to have on Luca if we were to join up and move in together.

“We’ve explored all that territory in this series. It has resonated with me much more than other seasons.”

Keddie says she was determined that Nina would grow up this year.

Last season, Nina’s relationship rollercoaster started with Leo Taylor (Patrick Brammall) and included a steamy one-night stand with Franklin Swan (played by Fantauzzo), a friend of her new half-brother Wil Bowen (TJ Power).

“It is a terrible thing when you start judging your character … but there came a point last season where I felt like shaking her (Nina) and saying ‘come on, get it together, grow up, you are a parent — stop acting like you’re in your 20s because you’re bloody not!’,” Keddie says.

“Nina has a responsibility to make her child feel safe and stable and loved and protected and her behaviour last series, I’m not sure [she did that].

“It was clear to me that if we were to move forward (with a seventh season) Nina had to progress in the maturity stakes. I wanted her to challenge herself to embrace a relationship and stay in it. Actually stand solid in it.”

So what does Nina see in Harry?

“They have so much to learn from each other. She, in her playfulness, is able to hack him open a little and loosen him up. He, in turn, is able to offer her the stability to relax and be honest and enjoy being herself rather than trying to hide herself.

“It is very romantic too … they encourage each other to be the best versions of themselves.”

Keddie’s decision to take the leap with Fantauzzo also paid off, with the pair marrying in 2014 and welcoming baby, Valentino a year later.

“It was such a big time,” Keddie says. “It was such a big choice as well but it wasn’t one I doubted.

“I learnt that I had the grit to make a choice and stick to it and not let this little boy [Luca] down. I knew when I was making that choice, it would be a forever choice.”

OFFSPRING, Channel 10, Wednesday, 8.30pm

Gorgeous Isabella Monaghan with her on-screen mum, Asher Keddie.

By Karlie Rutherford July 15, 2017

ACTOR Jeremy Lindsay ­Taylor’s wife Marnie gave him one piece of advice when she found out he’d be appearing on ­Offspring: don’t break any of the leading ladies’ hearts.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the Puberty Blues star will join the cast of the ­successful Channel 10 drama in the coming weeks, playing the mysterious Dan who is set up on a date with Kat Stewart’s Billie Proudman.

“My wife loves the show. She said it’s going to be so good for your career. But you better make Billie happy. Because everyone in Australia wants Billie to be happy after ending her marriage [on the show], so your career will go through the roof if you can do that,” he said.

Lindsay Taylor is aware of the cult-like status the men on Offspring have, saying, “If Dan was to break Billie’s heart, I would have to go into hiding. But I feel okay.”

The father of two girls said compared with the roles audiences see him in, like Hyde & Seek or Bikie Wars: Brothers In Arms, it was “fun” to play a more lighthearted character.

“I’ve played so many roles where I’m getting killed or killing people or crying. Roles where it costs you mentally or physically. Sea Patrol broke me physically with the stunts. So this was fun,” he said.

“Plus the opportunity to work with Kat Stewart was too good to refuse really.”

Lindsay Taylor will appear on Offspring from Wednesday July 26, only on Ten.

I was afraid this was going to happen...

Sad to hear you’re leaving, Lachy.

Offspring will never be the same without you. Clegg’s quirky and strange personality will be missed by many. Thanks for making us all smile and sometimes even laugh out loud.

I feel very fortunate to be able to say I have had the honour of meeting you on two separate occasions. You are truly a gentleman.

Wishing you all the best with your future projects!