Pending further invesitgation into the whole Naomi/Lucas affair, or 'Teachergate' as we like to call it, Brad has been suspended from work by the school board. You know what that means, don't you? Prinicpal Brad is a house husband now.
We decided to have a chat with the man who plays Summer Bay's latest Bad Boy Principal, Chris Sadrinna, because a) Chris is a great guy and b) there's no one better to fill us in on Brad's situation.
Chris, the last time we spoke you’d only just started working on Home and Away and you mentioned it was a bit like stepping onto a speeding train. How are things going a year down the track (no pun intended)?
It’s settling down a bit. It’s the biggest job I’ve ever had to do. It’s incredible. I remember when I first started I spoke to Chris Hemsworth, Holly Brisley and Amy Mathews and I said ‘How long does it take?’ You know, for you to settle down and lose all this nervousness. I remember Chris kind of laughed it off and said, “Oh… about two years!” (laughs)
I think you can trick yourself into thinking that its harder than it is. Some weeks you do more work than others, sometimes its easier, but it does settle down. You get more of a grasp on it and you get to know people and you get to know how people work. It does become a lot easier than when you first started.
Whats it like playing the same character for a year versus say a film shoot which lasts for a month?
With a film you know the beginning, the middle and the end. You know the whole story, so you can make the character go through that journey. You know from the very beginning where he’s going to finish up and with Home and Away, you don’t know week to week where the writer’s going to take the character, so you’re constantly reconstructing the character to fit certain moments.
It’s challenging. It can be annoying sometimes because after a while you become protective of your character - you create this other being – and when they give you an idea or a storyline you go, “He wouldn’t do that!” But you don’t get a choice, you’ve just got to go along for the ride or try and bend it enough, bend and make the compromise with the writing.
Brad’s just been suspended from his job and is putting on a strong front, but what do you think is going through Brad’s mind at the moment?
He feels a bit ripped off because he did the right thing. He looks after his relationship with Sally and his own personal morals before he looks after his job, so he refuses to lie and he stops himself from doing the thing that would save his job, but damage someone else. He feels unfairly treated because he tried to do the right thing and he really didn’t do anything wrong and in the end I think that gets found out. He’s working very hard to please everybody and in pleasing everybody else he does himself an injustice.
When you’re not working and at home, do you get stuck into the housework? I understand you’ve got two kids of your own.
I do. I’ve been very well trained (laughs). I’ve got two little girls, 8-year-old Shakira and 4-year-old Cassidy. We kind of balance our lives. Kelly (Chris’ partner) is a very strong, individual person too and whenever I’m here (at home) she goes out and does her own thing and we kind of schedule days off. When I know I have a day off she can go and do what she does.
How does your family react when they see you on TV?
Well, the first time I met Kelly I took her to a short film festival and I was in one of the films, so she’s been down with it from the beginning, but the kids? They kind of went wild. The first time Cassidy saw me on the TV, the first thing that came out of her mouth was “Wow, now I’ve got two daddies”, but Shakira got really involved. I actually had to take her on the set to show her that it wasn’t real because every time I cried or was in a moment of drama - especially with the early storylines where Emily was dying - she got really affected by that and thought that I was actually sad. She felt really sorry for me and there was one night where she wouldn’t stop crying for half an hour and wouldn’t let go of me, but now they’re really cool with it. Shakira watches it every night and Cassidy couldn’t care less.
Watching Brad spying on Alex while he’s stuck at home in the caravan park reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Can we expect any more mystery-solving, crime-busting antics from Brad in the future?
No, but that’s not a bad idea to take to the writers, is it? He could become the local P.I.! Well, I guess he’s got nothing better to do so he starts looking into everyone else’s business. A bit like Colleen.
Interview by Michael Hugill.
Rocky: Brad as a P.I. is not a bad idea, given how Peter left the Bay, and when
Johnny was hassling Brad, he did want to take matter in his own hands (not
in violence like Ric could've), but he'd make a better P.I than Colleen
would because he is more rational that she is.
As for Colleen, what IS she up to when she's not working and snooping
around? We haven't seen anything too dramatic with her since she lost her
bowling life, or even when her life turned upside-down when Norman left her.
She makes the most sense when a funeral comes around or tragedy strikes
rather than trying to ruin others' lives with her good intentions or over
premature conclusions.
