It’s definitely put some complications in, but we work around that. The scheduling team plans ahead and if there’s going to be really bad weather we’ll film in the studio. Then sometimes if it’s going to be on and off rain, we’ll work around that, so when the rain stops we jump out, we film, it starts raining, we stop and wait. We make it work.

When you first got the job, and you arrived on the set, were you a little bit awestruck, a little bit starstruck, to show up; there’s Alf, there’s Marilyn … I know your cousin is Thor, so maybe you were more prepared for it, but nevertheless.

I was unbelievably nervous. My first scene on my first day was with Lynne (McGranger), and I was – and I still am, I’m still as nervous as I was on my first day to perform with those guys. But they’re so lovely, they’re so supportive, they really do everything they can to make you feel comfortable and to make you do the best you can.

Before you strode into Summer Bay, what were you doing?

Well, directly before this I was sitting in Melbourne lockdown hoping I could get work anywhere. I’d been auditioning and studying acting for the last eight or nine years, but around that I was working in restaurants and hotels to get by. And the benefit of that was I could work nights so I could go to auditions during the day.

How would you describe your character Xander?

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He’s … a good guy. I think overall he always has good intentions. He’s a paramedic, so he’s a natural caretaker, which is actually a really good opportunity, to be able to play a first responder, because not only do I get to do all the action stuff but I get to learn whatever the medical procedure is.

There usually is a fair bit of action going on in Home and Away. Always an emergency, always a crisis requiring a paramedic. So you should be pretty busy.

It’s good, and all the stuff that I’d never have the opportunity to do in the real world, so it’s awesome. We’ve got Sarah the medical adviser who goes through everything in great detail so we’re fully prepared to try to make it look as real as possible.

So it’s a bit of an education for you, a bit of multi-tasking.

Yeah, absolutely. There’s a lot to learn, and to get my mouth around all the medical words takes some time. It doesn’t come naturally to me.

I guess there’s a pressure there, because unlike other cast members, you’ll have professionals watching the show and judging you on how convincing you are. Which isn’t so much the case for someone who’s running a diner.

There’s definitely an element of that, but I just see it as fun to be able to do that. And Sarah really does prepare us well – she’s on set whenever we’re on set, so anything you’re doing or saying incorrectly she’ll be in to help.

Home and Away is on Seven, Monday-Thursday, 7pm.

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